[This file is available in /pub/QRD/qrd/glaad/SFBA/glaad-SFBA-7.9.93
 at vector.intercon.com: The Queer Resuorces Directory]


GLAAD Media News Briefs -- July 9,1993
by Al Kielwasser

"Out of the Closet, Onto the Cover!"

These days, a trip to the local newsstand seems to offer new support
for an old claim: "We are everywhere!"  The July 5 issue of U.S. News &
World Report features "Straight Talk About Gays," the latest in a
relative spate of lesbian and gay cover stories to appear in mainstream
magazines.  In ten pages and two feature articles, U.S. News examines a
wide range of issues, which are loosely strung together by the results
of the magazine's "exclusive poll" on "where a concerned America draws
the line."

The poll conducted by the magazine covers some familiar territory (70%
of those polled oppose allowing lesbians and gays to adopt children),
as well as some new ground (33% say that media portrayals of gays and
lesbians have had a positive influence on society).  The authors also
use the poll as a springboard to make a number of important points,
including the fact that "most Americans mistakenly believe gays are
covered by existing federal rights laws." According to the U.S. News
poll, "50% say that gays suffer from discrimination.  65% say they want
to ensure equal rights for gays, but 50% oppose extending civil-rights
laws to cover homosexuals."

Unfortunately, the U.S. News poll claims to define "Where a Concerned
America Draws the Line" by measuring "The Limits of Tolerance." Placing
the poll results under this heading suggests that tolerance is some
sort of limited resource, a heterosexual virtue that lesbians and gays
must "earn."  The results of the magazine's poll could have been more
accurately titled "The Extent of Prejudice."

For the most part, however, the feature articles manage an informative
approach to everything from civil rights to sex education.  In
"Straight Talk About Gays," the authors chronicle the "signs of
intolerance" and the "organized opposition" that bracket the national
"debate" over lesbian and gay issues.  In a second article, "Intimate
Friendships," the authors provide a historical summary of the emergence
of homosexuality as an "orientation" with unique political and social
ramifications.  "To a young person confused about sexual feelings ...
the picture of same-sex love gleaned from books and articles in the
early 1900s was unifomily depressing and at times perplexing," they
explain.  "One early medical text, for example, stated confidently that
male homosexuals could not whistle and ~favored the color green."

Send your comments to Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-In-Chief, U.S. News
& World Report, 2400 N Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037-1196, tel.
202-955-2000.

Sassy Backlash

"Concerned Women for America (CWA)," a national group whose members are
concerned with promoting homophobia, has called for a crusade against
Sassy magazine.  Sassy, a mainstream magazine for young women, has
taken an affirmative approach to lesbian and gay subjects, an approach
that alarms CWA bigots.  In the July issue of CWA's newsletter, Family
Voice, staff writer Marian Wallace complains: "This magazine encourages
teenage girls to explore every politically correct area available, from
different sexual orientations to abortion." According to Wallace, Sassy
has also dealt with such "shocking" subjects as safer sex, witchcraft,
and "the New Age following." According to CWA, conservative groups have
been successful in having Sassy "pulled off of local shelves" and in
getting the magazine's "advertisers to pull their support." To fight
this censorious backlash, send supportive letters to Dick Latora,
President, Sassy Magazine, 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10169.

A Good Parent

The July 1993 issue of San Francisco Peninsula Parent, a monthly mews
magazine, includes "Another Mother, A Different Dad:  Lesbian and Gay
Parenting in the '90s," by Laura T. Laster.  The well-researched
feature story includes a guide to local and national resources.
Encourage the magazine to continue offering good, inclusive coverage.
Write to Lisa Rosenthal, Editor, San Francisco Peninsula Parent, P.O.
Box 1280, Millbrae, CA 94030, tel. 415-342-9203, fax 415-342-9276.

A Bad Post

Coverage of lesbian and gay issues at the New York post has gone from
bad to worse. When a New York Catholic church held a mass in honor of
Lesbian and Gay Pride Week, the service was disrupted by homophobic
protesters. The bigots attacked the priest and wrestled him to the
ground. However, the revisionist headline appearing in the Post
proclaimed: "Gays Disrupt Service -- Priest Hurt In Struggle." Even the
details of the paper's own story contradicted this blatantly inaccurate
and biased headline. Lavish complaints upon Rupert Murdoch,
Editor-In-Chief, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York,
NY 10036, tel. 212-852-7100.

The Right Fight

To assist in the fight against bigotry, People for the American Way has
published "An Abridged Guide to Right Wing Activity in 1993 at the
Grassroots Level." This concise intelligence guide is a state-by-state
listing of targets in the "Religious" Right's war on civil liberties.
Many of the listings highlight anticipated attacks on multicultural
textbooks, sex and AIDS education programs, and "anti-family" school
board policies. The entertainment industry is also on the hit list, as
are art exhibits and other forums fro creative expression. For more
information, write to People For the American Way, 2000 M Street, N.W.,
Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036

[Text provided by Jessea Greenman, FAX/OCR by Alan Batie]