Date: Fri, 14 Oct 94 22:10:56 PDT From: wasmith@eis.calstate.edu (Waugh Smith) These are the items from: GLAAD Reports - November 1994 Carl Matthes, Editor (213) 254-2726 - FAX (213) 257-5878 Index (Items 1 thru 22 are in this part, part 1 of 2, 37k) 1) Time Cover: Bill T. Jones 2) Will Halm, Co-Chair GLAAD 3) Snapple and Rush 4) "The Ricki Lake Show" 5) "My Brother's Keeper" 6) "Pret-A-Porter" 7) "Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage" 8) "The Brady Bunch Movie" 9) Tracking 10) NBC "Dateline," Rodney Wilson, Mehlville High 11) GET Gay Entertainment TV 12) Advocates for Youth: TV Program Awards 13) AFA: Doug Savant's Role Offensively Sympathetic 14) Navratilova 15) Argassi 16) Tennis Magazine 17) NBC "Nightly News," "Gay in America" 18) "My So-Called Life" 19) KOST-FM 20) Laemmle Theaters "Pool Days" Brian Sloan "A Friend of Dorothy" Raoul O'Connell "The Disco Years" Robert Lee King 21) Richard Jennings, Hollywood Supports 22) L.A. Times G&L Coverage (Item 23 thru 40 are in part 2 of 2) 23) People Magazine: Melissa Etheridge & Julie Cypher 24) Beth Winship 25) The New Republic: Paul Cameron 26) Atlanta's "Creative Loafing," G&L Power 27) Advertising: Mercedes & Mazda Saab General Motors Hyatt Hotels Summerfield Suites 28) Times Square Electronic Billboard 29) Tracking 30) GLAAD Media Awards (LA) March 12 1995 Century Plaza (NY) March 16 1995 Waldorf-Astoria 31) Paul Monette 32) Capital Cities/ABC Spousal Benefits 33) "Accuracy In Media" Attacks Libraries 34) Oregon Measure 13, Idaho Proposition One 35) Helms 36) ILGA 37) Sexual Orientation in the Workplace 38) Ellen Carton, Lee Werbell 39) G&L Mags in the Porno Section? 40) Have Advance Info? 1) Bill T. Jones on Time Cover Time magazine featured Bill T. Jones, an openly gay dance-choreographer, on the cover of the October 10 issue and included a ten page feature on the phenomenal growth of the African-American artistic and cultural movement. In addition to gracing the magzine's cover, Jones, whom the article dubbed "...the most versatile and inventive of America's black dancer-choreographers," reappears with the Bill T. Jones /Arnie Zane Dance Company, which he heads under the story title "The Beauty of Black Art." The article explored Jones' unique style, his varied artistic influences, how his sexual orientation and HIV-positive status influences his art and Jones' longtime lover and collaborator, Arnie Zane, who died of AIDS in 1988. Send your supportive letters to Time and suggest more articles on the wide spectrum of personalities and accomplishments of the talented and artistic gay/lesbian/minority communities. Send to: Jason McManus, Editor-in-Chief, Time Magazine, Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, New York 10020; FAX (212) 522-0601. Letters may also be sent via American Online computer network. 2) Co-Chair Report by Will Halm GLAAD officially became a national organization on September 24, 1994, as members of the newly installed national Board of Directors met for the first time, marking an historic occasion in the history of the gay and lesbian political movement. Twenty-five Board members from across the country convened in Dallas to finalize the merger of the New York and Los Angeles chapters into one national organization which will encompass all GLAAD chapters in the U.S. This merger is the first time that independent grass-roots chapters of a gay and lesbian organization have combined into one unified organization. This significant leap for GLAAD will quickly lead to greater effectiveness in GLAAD's advocacy for more inclusive and accurate representations of gay men and lesbians in all forms of the media and in all parts of the country. During our weekend in Dallas, Board members formalized GLAAD's organizational structure, adopting a model which will include a national executive director and headquarters in both Los Angeles and New York. The national headquarters will concentrate on national media issues and policies, while Councils will be maintained in New York and Los Angeles to help continue the programs developed in those two cities. Other local chapters will concentrate on media activism in their local markets as the national organization assists them in obtaining needed resources and provides them with general guidance and oversight through articulated national policies and strategic plans. The GLAAD organizational structure adopted during our Dallas Board meeting also includes a number of Board committees, which will help formulate plans and policies to provide a strong foundation for this new organization and to ensure its growth and stability. The newly formed committees include executive, fundraising, strategic, planning, administration, chapter/field operations and Board development committees. A people of color/diversity working group was also formed to insure inclusivity in all aspects of the organization. Peggy Brady from New York and I were elected co-chairs of the National Board for a one-year term, along with Jeanie Keeny from Kansas City as vice-chair, David Huebner from Los Angeles as treasurer and Jeff Sosnick from New York as secretary. Additional members of the executive committee include: Loretha Jones from Los Angeles, Ken Bukowski from San Francisco and Bill Donnell from New York. Other National Board members from the Los Angeles area are Michael B. Keegan (co-chair of the Media Awards), Lesli Klainberg, Carl Matthes (chair of the Publications sub-committee), Jack Sansolo, Kathryn Shafer and Steven Weissman (co-chair of the Fundraising Committee). This first Board meeting was an amazing experience for me. As I sat at the table with representatives from all parts of the country and observed the broad range of talent, skills and expertise they possessed, I realized that this group constitutes one of the finest Boards of Directors of a gay and lesbian organization in the country. The experience and maturity of this Board were made abundantly clear when during the span of just one short weekend this group successfully completed the incredible amount of work laid out for them in the very ambitious Board agenda. Amazingly, the committees which were created in concept on Saturday were actually working on Sunday, and developed an impressive set of plans and objectives, including: ~A fundraising plan which involves the national expansion of the Founders' Campaign, a campaign which just began in New York and Los Angeles and has already raised over $175,000. ~Financial, administrative and systems plans to integrate effectively and fully the Los Angeles and New York national offices. ~Specific suggestions regarding the coordination of chapter/field operations and the development of a regionalization plan to accommodate the phenomenal growth we anticipate as a result of the remarkable work being done by our National Field Coordinator, Donna Red Wing. ~A strategic planning process which will help guide the extensive discussions about the future mission and objectives of GLAAD which will take place at our next national Board meeting scheduled for January 1995 in Los Angeles. ~A national executive director search plan which involves a nation-wide search and the presentation of final candidates to the Board of Directors during its January 1995 Board meeting. GLAAD's first national Board meeting was truly remarkable and is a testament not only to our new directors, but to the many people who worked so very hard during the incredibly short (and hectic) transition period. Very special thanks go to Peggy Brady, my Board and National Transition Team Co-Chair (and her secretary, Sally Ann) for accomplishing an indescribable amount of work; the other members of the National Transition Team (Carl Lange, Ellen Carton, Lee Werbel and Donna Red Wing) who spent countless hours on telephone conference calls; the National Nominations Committee (Chiqui Cartagena and Rich Jennings, co-chairs, Laurie Falik, Stephanie Farrington-Domingue, Jeff Sosnick, Tom Poe, Cathy Renna and Donna Red Wing) who assembled one spectacular Board; the Los Angeles negotiations team (Rich Jennings, Michael B. Keegan and Stephanie Farrington-Domingue) for keeping the faith; our organizational consultant, Nancy Franco, who miraculously kept us on track; the GLAAD/Dallas Board (particularly Chuck Donaldson) who planned a great Dallas weekend; GLAAD/LA's and GLAAD/NY's Board members and staff (especially our Acting Co-Executive Directors, Ellen and Lee) who have been so supportive of GLAAD's transition to a national organization - an organization which will help provide a national vision and voice for the entire gay and lesbian movement. GLAAD National Board Members Co-Chairs Peggy Brady, New York Will Halm, Los Angeles Vice-Chair Jeanie K. Keeny, Kansas City Treasurer David Huebner, Los Angeles Secretary Jeff Sosnick, New York Directors Robert M. Browne, New York Ken Bukowski, San Francisco Ann Mei Chang, San Francisco Carmen Chavez, Washington, D.C. Charles Ching, New York Philip L. Deitch, St. Louis William Donnell, New York Gene Falk, New York David Ivers, Little Rock Loretha Jones, Los Angeles Michael B. Keegan, Los Angeles Lesli Klainberg, Los Angeles Carl Matthes, Los Angeles Lawrence J. McKeon, Chicago Mary T. Nealon, New York Judi Roaman, New York Colin Robinson, New York Laurie Rhodes, New York Jack Sansolo, Los Angeles Kathy Shafer, Los Angeles Steven J. Weissman, Los Angeles 3) Snapple Alert! Use GLAAD's Postcard Snapple is now deciding whether to renew its advertising contract with "The Rush Limbaugh Show." We all know Rush is evil, and now you can let Snapple know directly by sending them the handy postcard included in this month's newsletter. According to Ms. Lisa M. Ballas, Snapple Marketing Director, "Snapple does not support or even agree with the views of Mr. Limbaugh...the advertising is placed upon recommendation of our ad agency." Let Snapple know that Rush does not increase the sales for soft drinks - just ask the Florida Citrus Commission which found out, too late, when they had him peddling their orange juice. If you wish to send Snapple a letter of your own, write: Hyman Golden, Chair, Board of Directors; Arnold Greenburg, Chief Operating Officer; Leonard Marsh, Chief Executive Officer; Jude Hammerle, Vice President, Advertising and Promotions; Marianne Farrell, National Marketing Director, 1500 Hempstead Turnpike East Meadow, NY 11554. And while you're at it, send a copy to GLAAD, 8455 Beverly Blvd. #305, Los Angeles, 90048, so they know we are watching. Television & Film 4) Lake Drowning... Going Down for the Second Time What's not to love about Ricki Lake and her twice-a-day nationally syndicated talk show on KCOP-TV, "The Ricki Lake Show?" Up until recently, nothing. Her intelligent and appealing way is what has propelled her into ratings leadership among the newer entries in the talk show derby. And it's even understandable how her show ends up with subjects such as "I've Decided...I'm No Longer Gay" (September 15), or an earlier show about straight people who were being harassed because they "look gay." (That episode, by the way, culminated with one of the gay panelists being physically assaulted after the show!) Guests on Sept. 15 included Richard Cohen, a '90's version of aversion therapist Nicolosi, and several gay men who "had decided" they were no longer gay. Unfortunately, Cohen was able to grab free reign. His shameless self-promoting ("I can cure you, but you really have to want to be helped - deep, deep inside."), stopped only long enough for him to parade his wife before the cameras to "prove" that he was happily married and had overcome the childhood deprivations that drove him into the "gay lifestyle." Too often lost was the fact that no one really decides to be gay or not to be gay. The other guests, who obviously were struggling with their sexual identity, were subjected to friends arguing that they were still gay regardless of what they said in front of the cameras. All in all, not a very helpful hour. Ricki is on the right path. She is a talented and upcoming "mover-and-shaker." However, she is often too nice in the face of a homophobic mentality. Your comments may be directed to: Ricki Lake, 401 Fifth Avene, New York 10016. More Film, TV Tracking GLAAD and Hollywood Supports are tracking the following film and television projects: 5) "My Brother's Keeper" (CBS) will star John Lithgow as identical twin brothers, one of whom has AIDS. The other brother tries to save his life through high risk surgery. Complications arise and a legal battle ensues. This is based on a true story. 6) "Pret-A-Porter" (Miramax) is from acclaimed director Robert Altman. This film is about the foibles of the fashion industry. Lili Taylor plays a lesbian journalist, and, as usual for Altman, there will be many cameos by familiar faces. Opening December 21. 7) "Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage" (PBS) will air December 29 at 9:00pm. This documentary will feature television's first open discussion about William's longtime companion, Frank Merlo. 8) "The Brady Bunch Movie" (Paramount Pictures) was discussed in last month's newsletter, but here is an update. According to Daily Variety (9/19/94) "Self-styled supermodel RuPaul is heading to the big screen. Look for America's favorite drag queen to tackle the role of Jan Brady's high school guidance counselor" in the "Bunch" feature. RuPaul is also poised to star in his own short film, "Electra Lite," financed by a Disney discretionary fund set up to nurture special projects. 9) If you're plugged into the Hollywood development loop, the GLAAD Media Outreach Committee and Hollywood Supports are looking for your help in providing and verifying information on current and future projects in feature/TV development dealing with gay, lesbian and AIDS issues. Call: GLAAD at (213) 658-6775, or Tamra or Mark of Hollywood Supports at (213) 655-7705 if you can help with this important project. (The following projects were outlined in the last month's tracking report: "Boys on the Side," "Serving in Silence," "The Keith Meinhold Story," "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.") 10) "Dateline" Covers Homophobia The October 4 broadcast of "Dateline" on NBC-TV featured Rodney Wilson, a gay teacher at Mehlville High School in St. Louis. Wilson showed a film on the holocaust to his class. Now his teaching career is on the line for displaying a poster of the various patches those incarcerated wore, including the pink triangle. Wilson told his class: "As a gay man, I would have been forced to wear the pink triangle." After a period of silence, his students literally applauded Wilson's decision to come out in the classroom. According to "Dateline," Ronald Jones, the principal of Mehlville, described Wilson's statement as "inappropriate conduct." Bob Rodgers, the Superintendent of Schools agreed, and suggested that references to homosexuality have no place in the curriculum. "Dateline" provided Wilson with a fair forum to rebut such homophobic assertions and noted that, despite four years of "glowing" evaluations, Wilson's job is now in jeopardy. Send your comments to: Andrew Lack, President, NBC News, "Dateline," 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 10021; FAX (212) 664-3330; e-mail dateline@news.nbc.com; Rodney Wilson, c/o Mehlville High School, 3200 Lemay Ferry Road, St. Louis, MO 63125. 11) GET Makes a Move Gay Entertainment TV (GET) has moved its weekly 3-show package from LA's Century Cable to LA's Continental Cablevision. In a call to GET, Jean-Marc, host and producer of GET's "Party Talk," said the move was necessitated by Century's new insurance rules which mandated additional liability coverage for all independent cable producers. The cost was prohibitive. Starting in October, at 11pm on Thursday, Friday and Sunday night, you can watch "Makostyle," "Inside/Out" and "Party Talk" on the Continental's Lease Access Channel number 37. Check it out and contact: GET, 7 E. 17th St., NY 10003; (212) 255-8824; FAX (212) 989-9332 or Continental Cable at (213) 993-8200 I Want My Queer TV... Here's the take on GET's shows: "Party Talk" exposes everything that's happening on 'the scene' - drag acts, music performers, celebrity interviews, gay cultural event calendar and NY nightlife. (Sunday, 11pm)..."Makostyle" is a 30 minute show which presents on-location segments and studio interviews with celebrity movers and shakers hosted by Christopher Makos. (Friday, 11pm)..."Inside/Out" presents gay, lesbian and homo-friendly issues to America, everything from the corporate closet to gay parenting (Thursday, 11pm). 12) TV Programs Honored Eight television programs were honored October 5 by Advocates for Youth with the 10th annual Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards for "outstanding portrayals of family planning, sexuality and reproductive health." The winners were episodes of ABC's "Family Matters" and "Roseanne," and CBS' "Picket Fences"; an "ABC Afterschool Special" called "Jacqui's Dilemma"; the HBO documentaries "The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter" and "Why Am I Gay? Stories of Coming Out in America"; the ABC soap opera "General Hospital," and the HBO movie "And the Band Played On." Advocates for Youth (formerly the Center for Population Options) is a nonprofit organization working to prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teen-agers. 13) AFA Still At It The American Family Association (AFA), one of the most affluent and well-organized of the right wing hate groups, recently released the results of a six-month television monitoring effort. The report cites a list of 34 "offensive" programs that presented homosexuality "as a normal, acceptable, alternative lifestyle." A typical "offensive" entry was: "Melrose Place" (Fox, January 6) -- "Homosexual character Matt, a regular in the ensemble cast, was prominent in one scene encouraging Michael, paralyzed from an auto accident, in his physical therapy session." What offends the AFA is that Matt is shown as a person capable of compassion. On the basis of their analysis, the AFA concludes that "the largest advertisers on television have taken up the cause of the radical homosexual movement, sinking millions of dollars into sponsorship of TV programs pushing the homosexual agenda." The AFA identifies Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo as the leading advertisers on "pro-homosexual" TV shows. AFA members have been encouraged to bombard these companies with calls and letters demanding that they withdraw support from "homosexual advocacy episodes" of popular TV programs. You can help balance the outpouring of criticism from AFA members, rush your comments to: Chrm. D. Wayne Calloway, PepsiCo, 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577; FAX (914) 253-2070; Chrm. Edwin L. Artzt, Procter & Gamble Company, P.O. Box 599, Cincinnati, OH 45201, FAX (513) 562-4500. 14) Tennis, Anyone? Cable network Lifetime, recently broadcast a one hour biography of tennis superstar Martina Navratilova. This intimate portrait followed her from childhood in Czechoslovakia to her final competition in this year's Wimbledon. Without being sensational, the profile probed how being a lesbian affected her life and career. A great hour. Your comments to: Ms. Judy Girard, Senior Vice President of Programming, Lifetime Television, 309 W. 49th St., New York 10019. 15) Meanwhile, on another court... An open letter to: Dear Mr. Argassi: We at GLAAD are big tennis fans and have been watching your success at the U.S. Open with admiration - admiration that is, unfortunately, dampened by your outbursts. We have listened and watched while you have used homophobic slurs and made anti-gay remarks - pronouncements you have made publicly and unapologetically. In one instance you have even been fined for your inflammatory and unprofessional behavior on the court. With your success at the U.S. Open, you have an opportunity...to apologize for your failure to treat lesbians and gay men with decency and respect and to assert that no one should be degraded or mocked because of their sexual orientation or identity. We hope that in the future your conduct will no longer serve to diminish your considerable talent. And... 16) The "On the Scene" section of the October issue of Tennis magazine was entitled "The Tournament Where Everyone Wins." This personable and well-written story by Douglas Robson, documented his experiences as a tennis player in the recently concluded Gay Games IV. Robson not only gave perspective and information on the Gay Games, but included his own personal triumphs and feelings as he prepared for and participated in the matches. Tennis magazine should be thanked for the inclusion of this feature. Your comments to: For Tennis, Box 0395, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull, CN, 06611-0395. Letters... 17) To: Jeff Gralnick Executive Producer "NBC Nightly News" Rockefeller Plaza New York 10112 GLAAD would like to commend you on the "Gay in America" series which aired Sept. 20-22. There were, however, several problems...Most disturbing was the clear identification of psychologist Charlotte Patterson as a lesbian. This need to suggest her bias...was not balanced with an identification of Paul Cameron's obvious bias as a radical fundamentalist...Furthermore, since the series was entitled "Gay in America," the focus should have been on the lives of lesbian any gay men...(not on) "Gays & Lesbians, and the People Who Hate Them"...if "Nightly News" was doing a series entitled "Jewish in America" would you have felt obligated to counterpoint the discussion...with a Nazi? Generally, we were pleased with the series and welcome further balanced and fair coverage of lesbian and gay issues. Sincerely, Lee Werbel GLAAD, Executive Director And... NBC's E-Mail address is nightly@news.nbc.com. Use it to comment on NBC Nightly News "Gay In America" series. Ask, especially, why they spoke with Paul Cameron and called him a psychologist when he was kicked out of the APA and has been officially censured for falsifying research data on homosexuals. To: Tom Brokaw "NBC Nightly News" While I applaud the effort to present..."Gay in America," the report was glaringly (and, I hope, inadvertently) biased...its effect (was) to make the psychologist with little professional credibility appear to have much greater authority. Specifically, when Dr. Charlotte Patterson was introduced...you did not mention "Dr."...no (on-screen) caption appeared with her name and profession...When Paul Cameron spoke his introduction contained a visual of a table displaying a large stack of his book...the cover clearly showed the professional label...an on-screen caption showed his name and profession...no mention was made that Dr. Cameron was expelled from the American Psychological Association...by failing to disclose Dr. Cameron's background, this report gave (him) false legitimacy. Sincerely yours, Robert J. Switzer 18) To: Carl Matthes, Editor GLAAD Reports I am astonished about the short article on "My So-Called Life" in the October issue of your newsletter...First, Rickie is NOT a bisexual. That may be what the producers tell GLAAD, however all episodes have Rickie talking about boys, girl's gowns and wearing eye makeup. His "hanging out" in the girl's bathroom is unusual and unheard of in any high school...They put him in situations and give dialog that would infuriate teenagers watching against any effeminate person. It perpetuates the teenage propensity towards homophobia and fag bashing...In a season where CBS is "nervous" about Harvey Fierstein in "Daddy's Girls," where NBC has in production a mid-season show of "The Ties That Bind," which refers to "those kind' as "fruits," I would think such blatant ignorant depictions such as this would be decried, not excused...let alone applauded. Sincerely, Don Azars dap TV associaties 19) To: KOST-FM Radio GLAAD would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the positive feedback KOST-FM has received to the station's decision to lift the ban on same-sex dedications...While this move merits recognition, (I understand) that you do not see it necessary to put the new dedication policy in writing...We beg to differ...If KOST-FM is going to end its discriminatory practices, we insist that it be for the record. Sincerely, Lee Werbel GLAAD Executive Director To help KOST-FM understand the significance of a written policy, contact: Mr. Howard Neal, General Manager, KFI/KOST-FM Radio. 610 S. Ardmore Ave., Los Angeles 90005; Jhani Kaye, Program Director, same address. 20) Laemmle Presents "Boys Life" Finding screen time for any type of movie short is difficult. When the subject revolves around gay coming out stories, it could seem impossible. The Laemmle Sunset 5 took a step to help by booking "Boys Life," three short films packaged as one movie experience. Included were "Pool Days" by Brian Sloan, "A Friend of Dorothy" by Raoul O'Connell, and "The Disco Years" by Robert Lee King. Your letters of appreciation may be sent to: Laemmle Theatres, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles 90025. And... Community activist Mike Varady has joined the campaign to send postcards to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in support of "Global Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Human Rights." He has contacted movie houses in Los Angeles, including Laemmle, asking them to place the postcards in their lobbies. So, while you're out and around enjoying the movies, pick-up one of the postcards. Radio and Print 21) The L.A. Times on Jennings The Los Angeles Times Magazine for Sunday, October 9 (with a picture of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on the cover) contained an article entitled, "The Biz: Pressing the Suits," by Joseph Hanania. Featured in the article is Rich Jennings, founder and former Executive of GLAAD/LA and currently executive director of Hollywood Supports. (The article was headed by a handsome picture of Rich against the Hollywood Supports logo; on the picture, "Hollywood Supports chief Richard Jennings.") Observes writer Hanania, "Even though he had friends in the highest Hollywood places, Richard Jennings still wondered if studio executives would be receptive to seminars on 'Sexual Orientation in the Work Place,' sponsored by the group he heads, Hollywood Supports. But he needn't have worried: With friends like MCA President Sid Sheinberg and QVC Chairman Barry Diller in his corner (they organized the anti-homophobia group, after all), the doors flew open. In less than a year, it has sponsored upward of 50 seminars at more than a dozen entertainment firms." Mr. Hanania sketched out the focus of the seminars, and ended with "In addition to the seminars, Hollywood Supports has drawn up widely adopted model policies on discrimination and extending health insurance plans to same-sex partners." Sheinberg says Jennings deserves "straight A's" for his work. "He's gotten a lot of people involved who might otherwise be reluctant, and has filled a tremendously important need." Your comments to: Los Angeles Times Magazine, Editor Bret Israel, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053; FAX (213) 237-7386. 22) TimesWatch: September Compiled by John Sheib On Sept. 1, The Los Angeles Times (LAT) Valley edition presented a heart warming story about Mario Ceremano, a gay man dealing with the daily challenges posed by HIV. In "Garden of Memories," LAT writer Scott Harris discusses Ceremano's recent loss of sight, his collection of Betty Boop and Elizabeth Montgomery memorabilia, and Ceremano's plans for the future. The Sept. 3 Calendar section profiled KNBC-TV media/entertainment reporter (and former GLAAD/LA Board Member) Garrett Glaser. In "Out of the TV Newsroom Closet," Glaser discusses the very real issues gay and lesbian media representatives encounter in the workplace. The Sept. 9 LAT offered a queer double header: Calendar provided theater reviews for two one-act plays - "Bread Alone" and "Pouf Positive" - by writer/director Robert Patrick. The second article described the recent decision by Disney-owned KCAL-TV to broadcast "The Rush Limbaugh Show" and the controversy that decision has created with Disney's Lesbian and Gay United Employees (LEAGUE). The Times couldn't get enough of us on Sept. 10. There was a piece about Pedro Zamora, the HIV-positive, openly gay cast member of MTV's "The Real World III" who was just released from the hospital. "Zamora, 22, has no medical coverage, and MTV is urging its viewers to send money to a trust fund for him in Florida, the actor's home;" two 'letters to the editor' regarding the Sept. 3 article on Garrett Glaser and a lengthy article about the effort to repeal the 80 year old anti-sodomy laws in the Australian state of Tasmania covered half of page four; a piece from the Associated Press about the State Supreme Court's decision to hear a case involving whether property owners can refuse to rent to unmarried couples due to their religious beliefs; and a two column obituary for award-winning set and lighting designer Michael Stuart Shere. Shere was a former GLAAD/LA Board Member and worked with both Artist Confronting AIDS and the AIDS Services Center. He is missed. On Sunday, Sept. 11 an outstanding two-page story showcasing Celebration Theatre, LA's oldest gay and lesbian theater company was run. The article superbly choniclized the history of the company - both its setbacks and its recent successes. The article was complemented by four photographs - one of the current artistic director Robert Schrock and three more depicting scenes from current productions - "A Language of Their Own," "Men On the Verge of a His-panic Breakdown," and "Girl Bar." On Sept. 12, an article from the Associated Press regarding a lecture on homosexuality in Cairo hosted by Argentine lawyer Carlos Jose Mosso appeared. "More than 200 people - mostly Egyptian reporters and photographers - crowded into the lecture room, thinking that at last here was the gay demonstration anticipated as part of the 'immoral' UN population conference." That same day, LAT writer Jerry Gillam did a terrible job covering Gov. Wilson's veto of AB 2810 the day before. First, the Times combined the domestic partnership issue with the issue of employers permitting women employees to wear slacks to work. Second, the title of the article, "Wilson Ends No-Pants Rules for Women" completely omitted AB 2810. Finally, the article inter-spliced the two issues throughout the article leaving the core of the AB 2810 coverage for the end of the article. The LAT editorial staff condemned Wilson's decision in the Sept. 17 issue. "In his misconceived veto message, Wilson said the state should not encourage 'some substitute' for marriage. However he then ordered the state Health Services Department to develop regulations allowing adults to designate whomever they choose as hospital visitors. Such rules won't have the same teeth as law, nor will they affect those hospitalized after being incapacitated without warning. A bad call." On Sept. 13, an excellent news analysis of the ballot fallout expected from Gov. Wilson's veto of AB 2810 was provided. In contrast to the coverage just one day back, this article provided a truly insightful history of Pete Wilson's response to the lesbian and gay community. On Sept. 14, LAT writer Joseph Hanania described KOST-FM's recent decision to lift the ban on same-sex radio dedications. The Sept. 15 issue discussed a newly passed law written by Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) at the persistence of hate-mongerer Lou Sheldon. The bill, signed by Gov. Wilson on August 31, would double the amount of time to which a person convicted of disrupting a religious service may be sentenced. On Sept. 16 Calendar Section, KRTH-FM disc jockey Robert W. Morgan announced that his show has never had a policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Dedicate." He said, "I'm amazed that KOST ever had it." The Sept.18 issue provided a queer triple-header: A UCLA premed student's claims of sexual harassment by gay co-workers was documented. Scott Matthews alleges that homosexual co-workers harassed him verbally and physically while university administrators repeatedly ignored his complaints; music critic Martin Bernheimer conducted a very interesting and enlightening interview with openly gay composer Ned Rorem; coverage on the annual strategy conference of the Christian Coalition, a fundamentalist Christian organization committed to returning government to the way it was in the 1950's during the Eisenhower Administration. The Sept. 19 Counterpunch section profiled Michael Kearns, an openly gay, openly HIV-positive actor and the artistic director of Artists Confronting AIDS. In "Take the 'A' Word Out of the Closet," he discusses how AIDS was a dirty word on the 1994 Emmy telecast and how the issue was totally ignored by the Hollywood creative community. The Sept. 20 Quick Takes section of the Calendar section highlighted NBC Nightly News' three-part series "Gay In America." The series, which aired between Sept. 20 - Sept. 22, was billed as a first on nightly network news to look in-depth at the issues confronting gays and lesbians. The Sept. 21 Obituaries Section included a piece about Richard Heyman, one of the nation's first openly gay politicians and a two-term mayor of Key West, Florida. He died of AIDS complications. That same day, columnist Robin Abcarian criticized the new law doubling the sentences for those convicted of disrupting religious services." The Sept. 23 issue announced the LAT 1994 Book Prizes. Included among the winners was George Chauncey, who won the history prize for his work Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890 - 1940. The Life & Style section on Sept. 26 presented a touching article about long distance relationships. In "Love Across the Miles," writer Rebecca Howard highlights several long distance relationships, including one between two men. The love between the two men was given the same respect and validity as the heterosexual couple mentioned later in the article. That same day, the gay bashing of two men in front of a cafe located on the 8900 block of Santa Monica Blvd. was covered. "Eight people were arrested Sunday [Sept. 25] after they allegedly used baseball bats and golf clubs to assault two men as they walked out of a West Hollywood cafe..." The Sept. 27 issue listed GLAAD's General Meeting. The Sept. 30 Calendar section highlighted Britain's Channel 4. "Channel 4's programming is a rich, heady, some might say bizarre mix: strong on documentaries, the arts and show about ethnic groups and Britain's gay community." Also running was a tiny article with information about GLAAD's Celebration of Paul Monette. (Please see part 2 for items 22-40) wasmith@eis.calstate.edu