Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 08:14:18 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines 04.07.97 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community YEP, SHE IS: Ellen DeGeneres, star of ABC-TV's Ellen announced she is a lesbian in the cover story of the April 14 issue of Time magazine. DeGeneres is Hollywood's first major television star to come out as gay, lesbian or bisexual. "GLAAD applauds Ellen DeGeneres' courageous move to come out," said GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono. "Ellen's deeply personal decision will enable her to move forward and break new ground both personally and professionally." In Time, DeGeneres described her coming out as "the most freeing experience," and Bono expects DeGeneres' announcement will help lesbian and gay Americans to come out as well. "Ellen's coming out serves as a highly visible example for lesbians and gay men who are struggling in the closet and will hopefully inspire them to take the crucial step for themselves." For more information contact Alan Klein (GLAAD National Communications Director) at (212) 807-1700 or pgr. (800) 601-5483. NEW STUDY SHOWS FAITH IN ABC, CBS: Contradicting claims by anti-gay hate groups that networks such as ABC and CBS have somehow compromised "Christian values" by including fair and accurate representations of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people, a new study by the extremely conservative and anti-gay Media Research Center has named both networks as the most sensitive and inclusive towards people of faith. The study, "Faith in A Box: Entertainment Television on Religion" notes that of entertainment programming on the six broadcast networks, ABC and CBS have the best records in 1996 of religious depictions. The two networks also have such gay-inclusive programming as Ellen, Relativity, Spin City, Touched By An Angel and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Touched By An Angel, a 1997 GLAAD Media Award nominee, was also singled out in the report as "the best series of the year" for favorable treatment of religion. Meanwhile, an accompanying report on religion coverage in network news places ABC as the best network in terms of evening news coverage. "Clearly, portrayals of lesbians and gay men, and people of faith are not mutually exclusive," said Alan Klein, GLAAD Communications Director. "In fact, one of the largest lesbian and gay organizations is the Metropolitan Community Church." For more information contact Alan Klein (GLAAD) at (212) 807-1700 or pgr. (800) 601-5483. KIDS OF LESBIANS ARE HEALTHY: It is no surprise to lesbian and gay parents that three studies released on April 3 found that children born to lesbian couples through donor insemination are emotionally healthy and well-adjusted. The studies, conducted in the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands found no significant difference between the children and those parented by heterosexuals. "When you look at kids with standard psychological assessments, you can't tell who has a lesbian parent and who has a heterosexual parent," said Charlotte Patterson, a University of Virginia research. Additionally, Fiona Tasker of Birkbeck College in the Netherlands added her study found that the non-biological lesbian parent was normally more involved with the children than are fathers in heterosexual couples. In related news, on April 2, the Illinois Supreme Court let stand an appellate court decision to deny a father's appeal to take custody of his children from the mother because she is a lesbian. "There have been over 70 studies that show a child of lesbian or gay parents is just as emotionally healthy and well-adjusted as children of heterosexual parents.," said Shannon Mintner, staff attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "I think that these new studies support the trend towards making forms of insemination services available to lesbian parents, and towards courts and legislators recognizing the need to give lesbian and gay families legal protections." For more information contact Shannon Mintner (NCLR) at (415) 392-6257. KENTUCKY SENATOR SAYS NO TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTION FOR GAY PEOPLE: Kentucky State Sen. Tim Philpot (R-Lexington) is seeking to amend that state's currently gender-neutral domestic violence statute to prevent judges from giving protective orders to members of gay and lesbian couples. Singling out gay people for discrimination was necessary, Philpot claims, because "the intent behind the [original] legislation was to protect women and children" from "violent men." He then stated that he felt such a protection could extend to same-sex couples if lesbians and gay men could prove there was a problem. Sen. David Karem (D-Louisville), challenged that logic, saying, "If he thinks the protection might need to be there, why not leave it alone?" For more information contact Jeffrey Montgomery (The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs) at (313) 537-3323. To report events that merit media coverage, or news stories breaking in your area, please contact us. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is the nation's lesbian & gay news bureau and the only national lesbian & gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. 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