Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:06:40 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert November 12, 1998 GLAADALERT November 12, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation GLAADAlert Index: 1) Election '98 Coverage Misses the "Gay Vote" 2) The Lesbian and Gay Community Gets in the Rear Window 3) Smart Women, Foolish Assumptions 4) Contemporary Pediatrics Gets Hip To Gay Teens 5) "Two Dads" Make The World A Better Place 6) "A Letter" to St. Louis 7) What Well-Reasoned Argument? 8) Alert to GLAADAlert Readers 1) Election '98 Coverage Misses the "Gay Vote" While the 1998 elections held both triumphs (the election of Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin as the first openly lesbian candidate ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives) and setbacks (the passage of constitutional hurdles to the freedom to marry in both Alaska and Hawaii), one might have never known about these gains and losses from the scarce mention of our issues in the majority of election coverage. While the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender press did a tremendous job covering the issues and candidates, most mainstream outlets gave little or passing reference to the landmark results across the country, such as: the aforementioned votes in Hawaii and Alaska and election of openly lesbian Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.); the defeat of openly lesbian candidates Margarethe Cammermeyer (Washington) and Christine Kehoe (California) for the US. House of Representatives and the re-election of openly gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.). In addition, many outlets neglected to cover the pivotal role that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters played in significant races, including the defeat of Matt Fong for California governor, and Rep. Charles Schumer's election to the U.S. Senate. An off-year election might seem less important than a presidential year, but in fact this year, many local, state and Congressional races, as well as local and state ballot initiatives were closely watched by many. From major newsweeklies such as Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report to local newspapers, from the major networks to local television news - ignoring these important contests does not only a disservice to their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumers, but their audience as a whole. In addition, the conspicuous lack of coverage leads the audience at large to believe that our issues are somehow less important than others in contention this year. A high point was coverage from the Associated Press, which ran a mostly inclusive voter exit poll, asking respondents whether they identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (athough they did not include transgender individuals). While the number seemed low (only 4% responded "yes"), nonetheless, AP should be commended for their "vote for diversity." In addition, their Wednesday, November 4 story "Voters in Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado deals gay-rights a setback" rounded up the various local and state rights initiatives, in addition to the Alaska and Hawaii freedom to marry referenda. It would be impossible to list all of the outlets which neglected or gave short shrift to the election issues of most concern to us. Those numerous newspapers and television stations that chose to omit these stories would be too large to reprint here. If your local media neglected important races or issues that were of concern to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, you should let them know that it was irresponsible and unappreciated. You can find contact information for them online at GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org. (Many newspapers and television stations have online response forms and e-mail addresses that can be found by searching the web by their call letters (e.g., "KNOO-TV") or publication names). In order for us to be sure that coverage is inclusive, it is essential that outlets know that their readers and viewers insist upon the inclusion of pertinent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in their reporting. Just as you make your vote count, you can make your voice heard. Contact: Ms. Julia Rubin, News Editor, Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10020-1266, fax: 212.621.1679 2) The Lesbian and Gay Community Gets in the Rear Window On Sunday, November 22 (9:00 PM EST/PST) ABC will air a television remake of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window, which now includes a gay couple, played by Marc Holzman and David Pittu. The movie, starring Christopher Reeve and Daryl Hannah, tells the story of man paralyzed after a serious car accident, who spends hours watching his neighbors from his apartment window. Eventually, he believes he has witnessed a brutal murder. Numerous camera-pans across the apartment building reveal several couples, including a gay male couple who are affectionately shown feeding each other, having a dinner party and playing charades with a lesbian couple. Reeve's reaction to all the couples seems to signal his own character's feelings of isolation and loneliness after his accident. He perceives the close bond and affection the gay couple has towards one another no differently than any of the other couples he views from his window. Their sexual orientation is simply not an issue. Tune in to Rear Window and acknowledge the producers and ABC for recognizing the reality and visibility of lesbians and gay men as part of our neighborhoods and communities. Contact: … Mssrs. Christopher Reeve, Steven Haft, Robert Halmi, Jr. and David V. Picker, Executive Producers, Rear Window, c/o Haft Entertainment, 130 W. 57th St., 5-E, New York, NY 10019 … Mr. Kevin Brockman, VP of Media Relations, ABC Televsion Network, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067. e-mail ABC: netaudr@abc.com, or call ABC at 310.557.7777 and ask to be connected to their audience response line 3) Smart Women, Foolish Assumptions In Abigail Van Buren's November 5 Dear Abby column, the advice maven hands out a short, smart and sharp response to a woman confronting a common problem shared by many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Stating she is a lesbian, "D" says she finds that every time a female friends learns that she's gay, they expect her to come on to them. "D" asks "How can I change my personality to maintain friendships without my kindness being mistaken for anything more?" Abby replies: "I see no reason for you to change your personality. There is a common misconception in the straight world that because people are gay, they must be attracted to ALL people of the same gender. When it happens again, keep your sense of humor and show the friend this column." Kudos to Abby, and please thank her for her insightful and intelligent reply. Contact: Ms. Abigail Van Buren, P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 4) Contemporary Pediatrics Gets Hip To Gay Teens The November issue of Contemporary Pediatrics, a magazine received by over 40,000 doctors and nurses who care for children and adolescents, contains the first article on lesbian and gay youth in the magazine's history. The article, entitled "Caring for gay and lesbian teens" was written by Caitlin Ryan and Donna Futterman , and excerpted from their book Lesbian & Gay Youth: Care and Counseling. Ryan and Futterman cover vital information on (among other things): the physical and mental health effects of being stigmatized based on sexual orientation, working with families, counseling young people about discrimination and violence, coming out issues and career and parenting options. Doctors and nurses who treat children and adolescents are on the front lines of those working with young people at some of their most vulnerable moments, and the publication of this article will prove invaluable to pediatric professionals (included with the article is a listing of resources for both youth and professionals.) Please thank Contemporary Pediatrics for making a definitive statement that the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth matters. Contact: Editor, Contemporary Pediatrics, Medical Economics, 5 Paragon Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645-1742 5) "Two Dads" Make The World A Better Place The November 10 "The Two Dads" column published in the San Jose Mercury News spoke to readers about how to help children grow up extending tolerance towards others, and how parents sometimes impart messages of "judgementalism" without realizing it. The piece, entitled "Teach tolerance, make a better world," gives parents starting points for helping make their children aware and sensitive to difference. Included are talking with them about incidents they have witnessed, paying attention to signals they as parents are sending out, and being informed not just about prejudice, but about other cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. In the wake of Matthew Shepard's murder (which the Two Dads refer to as an example of why tolerance must be taught), parent advice like this is both timely and crucial. Please thank the San Jose Mercury News and the writers of "The Two Dads" (Russ Quaglia and Doug Hall) for their perceptive and responsible column. Contact: Mr. David Yarnold, Managing Editor, and Russ Quaglia & Doug Hall, c/o San Jose Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190-0001, fax: 408.2798.1966, e-mail: letters@sjmercury.com 6) "A Letter" to St. Louis The St. Louis Business Journal's November 9 issue contains an editorial by Mark Vittert examining homophobia in light of Matthew Shepard's murder, and by using the perspective of two fathers, makes a very moving plea for understanding and acceptance. The writer received a letter from a young man attending college, who had heard him speak out for "gay rights." The student then wrote of having to confronting homophobia as a gay man. Vittert uses the letter as a springboard for discussing, in a very accessible way, how "times have changed" from when he was a young man. He thinks of the letter, and of Matthew Shepard, and writes that "the only words that came to me were understanding and love." He goes on to talk about how "the only choice involved in all of this is by those folks who choose to be mean to those of us who are made differently than they are." Vittert closes by remembering Matthew Shepard's father speaking at his son's funeral, talking about how good and loving his son was. He then tells that the young man who wrote the letter to him said that Viterrt knew his father, and asked him to please talk to him and help him understand, since Vittert obviously did. The appearance of such a warm, personal and thoughtful piece in a business journal is a welcome contribution to the discussion of issues faced by members of the lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender community, especially at a time when it is under attack by those who would have us "cured" rather than accepted. Please thank the St. Louis Business Journal for their publication of Mark Vittert's commentary. Contact: Ms. Patricia Miller, Editor, St. Louis Business Journal, One Metropolitan Square, Suite 2170, St. Louis, MO 63102, fax: 314.621.5031, e-mail: stlouis@amcity.com 7) What Well-Reasoned Argument? In the November 6 edition of the New York Post, writer and self-described "former gay activist" David Morrison writes an inflammatory and prejudicial piece, arguing against the inclusion of sexual orientation in hate crimes legislation. In "What Crime of Hate and Anger?" Morrison stipulates, falsely, that because some gay men engage in public sex, this fact should exclude them protection from violence. Using Matthew Shepard as an example, he recounts an episode in which Shepard was hit by a man who felt that Shepard was approaching him. This leads Morrison to a lurid and sheerly anecdotal case in which he paints a picture of a culture where gay men are "obsessive" about having multiple anonymous encounters, and the "alluring" danger which accompanies it. A brief qualifier ("Šthis cannot excuse what happened to [him] in that Wyoming field") is the only hint of sympathy with Shepard and other victims of homophobic bias-motivated crimes, and is quickly followed by the alarming remark that "Americans should think long and hard about the[sic]making the feeling of repugnance at an unwanted sexual advance subject to additional penalties under the law." While opinion pieces like David Morrison's are in fact that - one person's opinion - the voice of authority given to the writer lends credence to statements that otherwise would be backed up with some sort of quantitative evidence. Where are Morrison's facts regarding his contentions that a "significant" number of gay men engage in the sexual practices as he has described them? He writes that "Americans would be shocked by the number of men "Šwhat number? Where are the numbers? On what foundation does he found his argument? What David Morrison has done is decontextualize a particular set of anecdotes, and paint an entire community with that brush which he uses to formulate his specious contention against protection from violence for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Please write to the New York Post and tell them that while opinion pieces are just that, when a writer stipulates falsehoods, inaccuracies and outright stereotypes as fact, that they should be held to the same standards as any other writer appearing in their pages. Contact: Mr. Ken Chandler, Editor, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790, fax: 212.930.8540, e-mail: letters@nypost.com 8) Alert to GLAADAlert Readers November is sweeps month, which means television stations all over the country run programming aimed specifically at garnering higher ratings (their advertising rates will be determined by these November numbers.) A frequent means of getting viewers is to run sensationalistic stories on local news shows, and as evidenced in previous ratings periods, one favorite topic is "public sex." Stations may send undercover reporters with hidden cameras into bathrooms or parks in an attempt to boost their ratings, and GLAAD would ask that you watch your local area news for segments like this. If you know of one in advance, please attempt to tape it, so that we at GLAAD can review it. You can always report stories to us via our toll-free Alert Line, 1-800-GAY-MEDIA, or via e-mail at glaad@glaad.org. You can also use our web site's Online Alertline by pointing your browser to http://www.glaad.org . Thank you for doing your part to help fight defamation in the media.-The Editor. 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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