Lesbian News -- Media Watch -- GLAAD/LA We're MAD at Ann Landers for putting our lives to a vote. In her column, which appeared in the March 8 Los Angeles Times, she asked "every homosexual reading this" to send a card writing either "Yes, I'm glad I'm gay" or "No, I would rather be straight." This "poll" is ridiculous, morally offensive, and scientifically unsound. Would she also request that African- Americans vote "Yes, I'm glad I'm black" or "No, I would rather be white"? Or ask women to vote "Yes, I'm glad I'm a woman" or "No, I would rather be a man"? Why not survey heterosexuals and ask if they'd rather be gay!? Scientifically, the poll is bogus. Postcard or phone call voting does not represent any kind of random sampling. The results are biased and reflect only the feelings of those who sent in cards. There is absolutely no way in determining if gay and lesbian people are sending in cards; if people are voting more than once; or if anti-gay homophobic people are voting in the negative to skew your results. Regardless of the outcome, we need to contact Ann and encourage her to write an accurate column on how most gay and lesbian people live their lives. Encourage her to consider writing about the rise in violence against lesbians and gay people. Then her readers will see it's not a question of whether gay people are happy to be gay or would rather be straight (as if those were the only two options or as if any unhappiness were related to being gay), but rather why lesbians and gays fear for their lives. We've had to face too many people voting with their fists against us. This "poll" only adds to this stressful climate of intolerance. Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago 60611-0562. We're GLAD to see DC Comics has featured several positive lesbian and gay themes in their books. A recent storyline in "Sandman," called "A Dream of You," featured a lesbian couple and a transsexual. The third issue of the story featured the lesbian couple in bed together. Encourage DC to continue lesbian visibility in the comics. Write Jenette Kahn, President/Editor, DC Comics, 666 Fifth Ave., New York 10103. We're MAD at Project Censored. It's one thing to be overtly defamed in the media, but another form of discrimination is to be totally ignored. Remember the lack of coverage of the March on Washington in 1987? A current example is our invisibility from a group that sounds as if it were organized just for gay and lesbian issues. Project Censored is designed to "explore and publicize stories on important issues that have been overlooked or under-reported by the news media." Yet, not once in ten years has any gay or lesbian story been selected for their Top 25 and no AIDS story has appeared since 1983. GLAAD/San Francisco Bay Area has submitted appropriate stories, but none has been selected. Could there be censorship of censored stories by their panel of judges? Ask them about their criteria for including lesbian and gay stories, insist that qualified lesbian and gay people be part of their panel, and nominate stories for their 1992 Top 25 list of suppressed information. Write Carl Jensen, Director, Project Censored, Sonoma State University, Rhonert Park, CA 94928; (707) 664-2149. In March, both "Roseanne" and "Murphy Brown" had shows with a gay theme. Roseanne's gay boss, Leon (played by Martin Mull), falls for another man, played by (are you ready?) Rick Dees. And Murphy's boss, Miles, has a homoerotic dream about a fellow gay employee and worries that he himself might be gay. Both were handled with accuracy, humor, and fairness. You know the religious right has already targeted these shows, so be sure to send letters to the producers encouraging them to do more shows with gay themes, and remind them to include lesbians next time. "Roseanne," Carsey/Werner Productions, CBS/MTM Studios, 4024 Radford, Studio City 91604; "Murphy Brown," Diane English and Joel Schukovsky, Exec. Producers, Warner Bros., Bldg 3A, Room 28, 4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, 91522. We're MAD at Dr. David Viscott, radio and TV psychologist. A young lesbian falls in love with an older woman. Her heart is broken and she calls KNBC television personality Dr. David Viscott for counseling. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that the older woman was "playing games" and, Dr. Viscott remarks, "...this woman would taunt and tease you just to pull you along." The good doctor then engenders the on-the-air diagnosis that, "It's part of that lifestyle a little bit, isn't it?" In a letter from GLAAD/LA, Dr. Viscott was reminded that lesbianism is not a lifestyle, but a sexual orientation. Continued the letter, "we were sorry to hear you give a completely erroneous opinion about lesbians to the general public. What happens between two individuals in a single situation should not reflect upon an entire community as fact." To further enhance Dr. Viscott's understanding of lesbians, write: Dr. David Viscott, KNBC-TV, 3000 W. Alameda, KNBC Building, Room 2272, Burbank, 91523. This column, written by members of the LA chapter of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, appears each month in Lesbi- an News and Frontiers. Call out hotline at (213) 931-9429 (931- GAY) for information about our next general meeting, the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim (6000 W. Pico), and to report media coverage about lesbians and gays. Please send us copies of your letters to the media. Write GLAAD/LA, P.O. Box 931763, Los Angeles 90093-1763 and receive our monthly newsletter. Donations and membership dues to GLAAD/LA are tax-deductible. ======================================== Bryan J. Blumberg, The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation 815 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90041-1777 (213) 259-4914, B_BLUMBERG@MACSCH.COM