PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Lee Werbel Executive Director 213/658-6775
"NORTHERN EXPOSURE" TO AIR A WEDDING WITHOUT A KISS
Los Angeles

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Los Angeles
(GLAAD/LA) announced it's disappointment with CBS by not
airing a kiss between two people after exchanging wedding
vows.  Doesn't this seem odd?  Two people have just
experienced one of the most important moments in a person's
life, marriage, committing themselves to sharing a life with
another person?  Yet they don't share an intimate kiss after
the ceremony.  How can this be?  It can't possibly be true.
Well apparently CBS seems to think their viewers will buy this
quack of a wedding as real.  I think not!

The upcoming episode, "I Feel The Earth Move" is scheduled to
air on Monday, May 2, revolves around the wedding of Ron and
Erick - the gay innkeepers, played by Doug Ballard and Don
McManus.

"Northern Exposure" had gained wide acceptance and popularity
from its viewers the past years and one of the reasons is
their earnest portrayals of lesbian and gay men.  Why have
they decided to steer away from their road of reality to
portraying gay men as subhuman?

GLAAD/LA Executive Director, Lee Werbel stated, this is a real
kick in the face to lesbians and gay men, and non-gay people
across the country.  All lesbian and gay men want to do is see
themselves portrayed as any other person, with families and
friends and yes displaying signs of affection with those we
love.  The stripping of such a big part of an important aspect
of any individual's life is rude, insensitive and sends a
clear message to society that gay people are very different."

GLAAD is a diverse group dedicated to confronting written,
oral and visual defamation of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals
and working as a resource for media professionals and others
seeking to use accurate and inclusive images of lesbians and
gay men.

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