GLAAD/ON THE AIR JUNE/1994 COLD OPENING: AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES ATTACK ON PBS... RELIGIOUS RIGHT FINDS HOMOPHOBIA IS PURE GOLD... STRAIGHT MAGAZINE DECLARES DEATH TO HOMOSEXUALS... RUSH TO STOP THE FLORIDA JUICE... MAJOR HUGS TO FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL... ...THESE STORIES...AND MORE PROGRAM OPENING: MUSIC IN: THIS IS GLAAD/LA ON THE AIR. YOUR MEDIA WATCH FOR THE FAIREST POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING OF GAY AND LESBIAN LIVES. I'M _____________ AND I'M _________ YOUR GLAAD REPORTERS FOR THIS EVENING. PLEASE HAVE A PAPER AND PEN READY SO YOU CAN TAKE DOWN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. AND NOW GLAAD/LA IS ON THE AIR: MUSIC PLAYS OUT: STORY 1: Donald Wildmon's American Family Association has launched and all out attack on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts with the mailing of a slanted, composite, 12-minute video from the recent six-hour broadcast of "Tales of the City." Every U.S. Congressperson received the video and a cover letter from AFA asking for a stop to funding for projects like "Tales." The letter charged that "Tales" included profanity, nudity, illicit drug use and homosexuals kissing in bed, and asked that "you use your influence to stop the public broadcasting and the National Endowment from funding such productions." Once again the NEA is under attack by the extremist bigots. Letters to your Congressperson, as well as Jane Alexander, president of the NEA, to show your support for gay positive programming can and will make a difference. And while you're at it, how about copy your letter to the gentleman at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? STORY #2: Pat Robertson and his "700 Club" is on the air about six times a day. Pat and his Christian Broadcasting Network funds many of the anti-gay legislation across the nation and is sending out a "fact sheet" (for reprint please see the GLAAD May newsletter). The religious right has a war chest estimated to be one billion (that's with a "b") dollars. And they have no shame about breaking the 9th Commandment "Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor" (Ex. 20:16), when it comes to gay men and lesbians. The religious right has found that homophobia is pure gold, the most lucrative fund raising device since apple pie, motherhood and the American flag. Comments to: 700 Club, 700 CBN Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23463. STORY #3: A Philadelphia-based activist group, Grassroot Queers, is urging everyone to call their local cable TV company and have the Family Channel, aka CBN, blocked or taken off. By decreasing the audience for Robertson's Christian Coalition Family Channel, advertisers will find his broadcasts less attractive. For information: Grassroot Queers, P.O. Box 1294, Philadelphia, PA 19105. STORY #4: The Religious Right publishers of STRAIGHT magazine,which stands for Society To Remove All Immoral Gross Homosexual Trash, will have a new display ad in several publications by the end of the year. Featuring a banner headline reading, "WANTED: All criminals protecting, promoting or practicing homosexual perversion." The ad declares that the "death penalty for homosexuals is prescribed in the Bible," while asking readers to help "bring these criminals to justice." Comments to: STRAIGHT, P.O. Box 5251, Denver, CO 80217. STORY #5 The all white male, heterosexual, white Florida Orange Juice Commission thought it would be a good idea to hire Rush Limbaugh as their spokesperson. The same people who gave us Anita Bryant have now found that sales have gone down 6%. (The National Organization of Women, which Rush refers to as the National Organization of Witches, is spearheading a national boycott.) Now is the perfect time to buy California orange juice, Knudsen and Sunkist. Your comments to: Florida Citrus Commission, P.O. Box 148, Lakeland, FL 33802-0148. STORY #6: Congratulations and a big thank you to the makers of the British romantic comedy FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. Writer Richard Curtis really has the issue of gay inclusion down pat. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Just to look at Hugh Grant is worth the admission price. Grant portrays Charles, a guy who is always attending other people's weddings. Introduced early in the film are Matthew and Gareth, played by Simon Callow and John Hannah, who turn out to be a gay couple who have formed a very loving and lasting relationship. In fact, the "Funeral "in the title, refers to the sudden death of Simon, at which the most warm, caring and human moments of the film are found. Another plus is Scott, the brother of Charles, who happens to be deaf. It is commendable that the producers were able to include gay men and a deaf character without making an issue of them. And make sure you stick around in the theatre at the end to view the closing snap shots. There are other weddings portrayed and the sight is a joyous one indeed. STORY #7 The GLAAD Media Outreach Committee wants to inform the gay and lesbian community of advertisers who either support programs about our community or contribute to censorship of those programs, and you can help. The next time you watch television, keep a pencil and paper handy. If there is something that concerns you, jot down the name of the show and its sponsors. Then, call the information into the GLAAD/LA Hotlines: in English (213) 931-9429; Spanish (213) 658-6074; or fax is at (213) 658-6776. If you are an advertising industry "insider" who might have access to information about advertisers who have been under boycott or hate-campaign pressure to cease advertising on programs that are lesbian and gay positive, call us. Any information will be treated in confidence. CLOSING: THIS HAS BEEN GLAAD/LA ON THE AIR REMINDING YOU THAT AN INFORMED COMMUNITY IS A STRONG COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS WE HAVE IN COMBATING HOMOPHOBIA IS LETTER WRITING. WHEN YOU RESPOND TO A CONCERN PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER ALONG WITH ANY REPLY YOU RECEIVE. OUR ADDRESS IS GLAAD/LA, 8455 BEVERLY BLVD., SUITE 305, LOS ANGELES, CA 90048 AND OUR HOT LINE NUMBER IS 213/931-9429. THIS IS ________ AND __________ FOR GLAAD/LA ON THE AIR. UNTIL NEXT TIME, BE SAFE AND GOOD NIGHT. MUSIC PLAYS TO FADE. ____________________________________________________________________________