[This file can be found in /pub/QRD/GLAAD/SFBA/media.news.briefs-12.3.93 at vector.intercon.com, the Queer Resources Directory] GLAAD Media Briefs --December 3, 1993 by Al Kielwasser Homo Video MTV, generally known as a queer-positive network, has refused to air, because of its homocrotic content, the video from Fem 2 Fem's "Woman to Woman" album. Fem 2 Fem is a group of lesbian and bisexual musicians. The network--which promotes respect for diversity through a high-visibile "Free Your Mind" campaign--certainly needs to be more open minded about Fem 2 Fem. Meanwhile, MTV's less-hip offspring, VH-1, is airing k.d. lang's video "Just Keep Me Moving," from the soundtrack for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. In the video, lang drives her motorcycle past another woman, whom she cruises. The woman retums her affectionate gaze, hops on the bike and, arms around lang, the two drive off together. Comments should be sent to: Viewer Department, MTV Networks, Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, or call the MTV Viewer Comment Line at 212-258-8700; Viewer Services, VH-1, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, tel. 212-258-7800 or 212-258-8000. More Gay Villains In the "Been There, Done That, Hated It" Category: The new Sylvester Stallone/Wesley Snipes action flick Demolition Man features a villainous gay duo. The two characters are a homophobe's wet dream. They are sneaky, underhanded, disloyal, cowardly and interested in nothing but pursuing their own, greedy agenda. Ironically, Stallone is on the board of Hollywood Supports; also, a few months ago, Stallone was on the Arsenio Hall Show and Hall pointed out a guy who was cheering when he unbuttoned his shirt. Stallone replied: "It's okay, get with it Arsenio, it's the '90s." Criticism may be sent to Marco Bambilla, Director, Demolition Man, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212; Sylvester Stallone, c/o Ron Meyer, C 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Definitely, For Better Lynn Johnston, creator of the internationally-syndicated comic strip "For Better or For Worse," will appear at the Cartoon Museum (665 - 3rd St., San Francisco; tel. 415-553-4026) on Sunday, December 12, 4 pm - 6 pm. The suggested donation for the event is $15, which will benefit Voice & Vision: Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministry. In the Spring of 1993, Johnston focused her strip on the story of Lawrence, a teenage boy experiencing the tribulation and exuberance of coming out. In a letter thanking those who supported the story line, Johnston wrote: "The angry response has been overwhelming and yet the positive mail has let me know that I did the right thing. Despite the controversy, perhaps Lawrence's story made people talk and think and relax their stance just a little." World Genitalia Day? In her regular "AIDSWEEK" column for December 1 (World AIDS Day), the Examiner's Lisa Krieger reported that AIDS Day activities in The City's public schools had "some parents feeling edgy and angry because they haven't been given a chance to examine the materials and learn about the speakers." Krieger quotes one upset parent, Marsha Glantz, and the President of the San Francisco PTA, Helen Lucy. Lucy complained that parents were not given enough information to decide whether or not they wanted to have their children excluded from the AIDS Day observance. The smoke screen of parental notification is often used to push a homophobic, AIDS-phobic and sex-negative agenda for the public schools. Even worse, Krieger helped Lucy push that agenda by suggesting--falsely--that AIDS Day observances included "depictions of human genitalia and reproduction." Significantly, Lisa Krieger did not speak to Tom Ammiano, a gay man, parent and president of the San Francisco School Board. She did not speak to Angie Fa, a lesbian and a School Board commissioner. She did not contact Sam Thoron, regional director of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). She did not report the observations of any lesbian, gay or bisexual youth. Finally, and most shocking of all, Krieger did not seek out the opinions of the 2,000 or more teenagers in San Francisco who are infected with HIV. Though the school district's AIDS Day observance was thoughtfully-organized and planned in consultation with a number of educational and community organizations, Lisa Krieger did not quote a single person who had anything positive to say about the day's events. Instead, Krieger presented a lop-sided swipe at a program that should serve as a model for AIDS awareness throughout the nation's public schools. Register your disgust with both Lisa Krieger and PTA President Helen Lucy. Call Phil Bronstein, Executive Editor, S.F. Examiner, 415-777-2424, or write to Letters to the Editor, S.F. Examiner, PO Box 7260, S.F., CA 94120, or fax your letter to 415-512-1264. Write or call Helen Lucy, S.F. PTA, 135 Van Ness, Rm. 206, S.F., CA 94102, tel. 415-587-1098 or 415-861-0538. Examiner: More Shallow Journalism On November 30th, the Examiner offered readers yet another dose of homophobic, sex-negative sputum. In a column titled "Sex Education at San Francisco State," Examiner reporter Scott Winokur attacks Dr. John De Cecco, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Research and Education in Sexuality at San Francisco State University. In a column that is as immature as it is defamatory, Winkour describes De Cecco as a "grayish-looking, pot-bellied 68-year old" and argues that the professor's research interests amount to little more than "amoral nonsense." With disdain, Winkour criticizes De Cecco's classroom discussions of "unconventional eroticism" and claims that De Cecco is "pandering to students who might have been too impressionable and inexperienced to know better." In a final fit of irony, Winkour reports that one of De Cecco's lectures on prostitution was delivered "with appalling superficiality." In fact, Winokur's column is appalling superficial. His central argument is nothing more than a re-hash of the Anita Bryant "Save Our Children" rhetoric. Winkour all but labels De Cecco a "pervert" and suggests that research on homosexuality is, by extension, essentially "perverse." Of course, completely missing from Winokur's hateful little column is any mention of De Cecco's trail-blazing academic career. Winkour never mentioned, for instance, that De Cecco is an internationally-respected and widely-cited researcher, a member of the International Academy of Sex Research, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, the American Psychological Association and the San Francisco Bay Area Historical Society. Nor did Winkour mention that De Cecco is the editor of the highly acclaimed Journal of Homosexuality, the only journal devoted to empirical research on homosexuality. De Cecco has also published several anthologies, including Bashers, Baiters & Bigots: Homophobia in American Society. Send another round of criticism to Phil Bronstein, Executive Editor, S.F. Examiner, 415-777-2424, or write to Letters to the Editor, S.F. Examiner, PO Box 7260, S.F., CA 94120, or fax your letter to 415-512-1264. Press Democrat: Lesbian Visibility Lesbian visibility was given a boost by The Press Democrat in the last few weeks. Clark Mason's article about lesbians gaining a higher profile in the Russian River area, "Quiet Change in Guerneville," was featured on the front page of the November 8 PD. The feature was enhanced by a picture of lesbians dancing. On Oct. 17, on the first page of the Sunday edition's "Life" section, the PD printed Susan Swartz's article, "Lesbian Author a Hit in Germany." This piece reported on German fans that crowded the America House Library in Frankfurt to meet Rita Mae Brown. Encourage the PD to continue this affirmative trend: Letters to the Editor, The Press Democrat, PO Box 569, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Snapple Update The Snapple beverage company, which has been an official sponsor of The Rush Limbaugh Show, is continuing to re-consider their support for America's porcine apostle of hate. According to Lisa Ballas, Snapple's marketing director, the company's founders and management have received letters, pro and con, and "will be discussing" the issue "before the year's end." Having Snapple flush Rush would be a great way to start the new year. Ask Snapple to disassociate the company from the likes of Rush Limbaugh and announce to the nation that supporting homophobia is simply bad business. Call or write Lisa M. Ballas, Marketing Coordinator, Snapple Beverage Corp., 175 N. Central Ave., PO Box 9015, Valley Stream, NY 11580, tel. 516-872-4868, fax 516-872-4876. Submit ! Submissions are being sought for Angles: Women Working in Film & Video, a quarterly newsletter devoted to news of women working in the media. Regular features include interviews, essays, topical articles, listings and media clippings. For more information, contact Elfrieda Abbe, P.O. Box 11916, Milwaukee, WI 53211, tel. 414-963-8951. The weekly New York cable show Dyke TV is seeking video shorts under 10 minutes. For details, call 212-343-9335 of fax 212-343-9337. Films and videos by black independent filmmakers, directors or producers are sought for "Screen Scene," a segment of the weekly television program Black Vision. Contact Screen Scene, Black Entertainment Television, 1899 9th St. NE, Washington, DC 20018, tel. 202-636-2400. We must confront homophobia in order to cure it! To notify the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation of any defamatory media coverage, or to request GLAAD membership information, write to GLAAD/SFBA, 514 Castro Street, Suite B, San Francisco, CA 94114. Call our main office at 415-861-4588; fax, 415-861-4893; South Bay, 408-235-0229; East Bay, 510-273-9146; North Bay, 415-647-3055. Items for this weekly report should be sent to Al Kielwasser at GLAAD/SFBA. GLAAD/LA contributed to this week's report. [FAX/OCR by Alan Batie ]