From: Bonnie Haley Subject: GLAAD/SFBA Media Watch (3/18/94) GLAAD/SFBA MEDIA WATCH March 18,1994 CLOSING THE BOOK ON HOMOPHOBIA In an unprecedented move, one of the nation's leading textbook publishers has taken a strong stand against homophobia in public education. Holt, Rinehart and Winston announced that it will pull its high school textbook Holt Health out of the Texas book market. In doing so, the publisher effectively cut itself off from the $7.5 million that the state will spend on new health textbooks. Holt, Rinehart and Winston refused to concede to hundreds of irrational, sex-negative and homophobic revisions demanded by the Texas Board of Education. These revisions -- euphemistically referred to as "corrections" by the Board -- would have removed many clinical illustrations (such as a diagram explaining self-examination for testicular cancer), added language describing Texas sodomy laws, and deleted toll-free numbers for gay/lesbian youth and suicide prevention services. Board of Education member Monte Hasie was among those who pressed for such "corrections." Hasie stated: "I didn't think this stuff should be part of the public schools. They were promoting homosexuality as an acceptable alternative life style and promoting sex as being O.K. if you use a condom." In the face such ignorant opposition, the publishers of Holt Health stood firm and refused to sacrifice fact for fiction. Health textbooks -- like all textbooks -- should aspire to the highest standards of scholarship. Of course, the overwhelming consensus amongst competent researchers and educators is that homosexuality is normal, functional and healthy. Any textbook that contradicts such evidence is grossly in error and has no more business being in our public schools than a textbook that teaches that the Earth is flat. Holt, Rinehart and Winston deserves praise for taking this courageous (and financially risky) stand. Encourage to the publisher to do the same in California, which will also be adopting new health textbooks soon. Contact Sam Sherwood, V.P. of Sales, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 577 Airport Blvd., No. 185, Burlingame, CA 94010, tel. 415-579-3993 or 800-228-4658, fax 415-579-0640. TV AND HIV On March 28th (8:00 p.m.) local NBC affiliate KRON-TV will broadcast Life and Death at the Ambassador Hotel. This hour-long documentary takes a look at adverse Tenderloin habitat, where one-third of the residents are either HIV positive or diagnosed with full-blown AIDS. Significantly, Life and Death at the Ambassador Hotel was NOT produced by KRON's investigative unit, which was responsible for the grossly inept "Sexual Suicide" series broadcast a few months ago. Instead, this documentary was produced, shot and edited by Ken Swartz, who also produced KRON's award-wining 1992 documentary on gay and lesbian youth, Growing Up and Coming Out. The KRON special will be followed by NBC's presentation of And the Band Played On, the AIDS drama based on Randy Shilts' book of the same name. Direct comments to Amy McCombs, President and General Manager, KRON-TV, 1001 Van Ness Ave., S.F., CA 94109, tel. 415-441-4444, fax 415- 561-8069. SHOCKING CENSORSHIP Viacom Cable continues a decade-long attack on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender programming. Demonstrating that the company has no understanding of the words "public" or "access," Viacom has routinely censored public access programs produced by the Electric City Network. On February 11th, Electric City was cut off by Viacom -- right in the middle of the program -- at the start of a segment on a nude art show. Electric City producer Arnel Valle has documented numerous such abuses by Viacom. According to Valle, "Electric City shows have been played on machines over 15 years old, tampered with while on the air, blacked out, and neglected from improper storage while at Viacom." San Francisco provided a monopoly cable franchise to Viacom with the express understanding that the company would supply a community access channel, free of arbitrary censorship. Electric City's producers have joined with other lesbian and gay programmers demanding an end to Viacom's history of censorship and harassment. To add your voice to that demand, contact Jon Marx, V.P. & General Manager, Viacom Cable, 2055 Folsom St., S.F., CA 94103, tel. 415-863-8500. Send a copy of your letter to the President and All Members, S.F. Board of Supervisors, City Hall, Rm. 235, S.F., CA 94104. GETTING STEAMED The publishers of the nation's leading lesbian/gay glossies have apparently put out a "not welcome" mat for the folks at STEAM magazine. STEAM, a quarterly journal devoted to discussions of public sex, has been attempting to advertise in the Advocate, Genre and OUT magazines. Remarkably, the ads STEAM hoped to place are no more "explicit" (and certainly less-offensive) than a Calvin Klein spread featuring half-starved women or homophobic rappers in their underwear. Share your thoughts on the matter with Sam Watters, Publisher, Advocate, P.O. Box 4371, L.A., CA 90078; Richard Settles, Publisher, Genre, 8033 Sunset Blvd., No. 1, L.A., CA 90046; George Slowik, Jr., Publisher, OUT, 110 Greene St. Ste. 800, New York, NY 10012. STEAM also welcomes both pro and con perspectives on this issue, and your views should be sent to Keith Griffith at PDA Press, Inc., P.O. Box 460292, S.F., CA 94146. GETTING BITTEN The feature film Reality Bites looks into the lives of various "Generation X" characters. Among the cast of X-ERs searching for the meaning of life is "Sammy," a young gay man played by Steven Zahn. Zahn enacts a poignant, if not perfect, role in this well-done Hollywood feature. Comments can be sent to Lew Wasserman, CEO, MCA/Universal, 1000 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608. In contrast, another feature film -- Ace Ventura: Pet Detective -- is a vapid opus to slapstick homophobia. At one point, Ace (played by Jim Carrey) "accidentally" kisses a man and reacts by taking a shower, vomiting, and using a toilet plunger on his mouth. Comments on such witless "humor" can be sent to Terry Semel, Warner Bros. Pictures, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522, tel. 818-954-6000. WE MUST CONFRONT HOMOPHOBIA IN ORDER TO CURE IT! TO NOTIFY THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION OF ANY DEFAMATORY MEDIA COVERAGE, OR TO REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GLAAD, CONTACT GLAAD/SFBA, 514 CASTRO STREET, SUITE B, SF, CA 94114, TEL. 415-861-4588, FAX 415-861-4893, E-MAIL BONNIE@OUTRIGHT.COM.