Subject: GLAAD/SFBA's Media Watch (4/8/94) GLAAD/SFBA MEDIA WATCH April 8,1994 HOLE IN THE HEAD Books about lesbian/gay families -- including HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES and DADDY'S ROOMMATE -- have been removed from a federally funded Head Start program in Lane County, Oregon. The books had been included in an anti-bias curriculum for pre-schoolers until the homophobic Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) claimed that the government was pushing a "pro-homosexual agenda." Published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the 149-page curriculum deals with such diversity issues as physical disability, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. Though only the lesbian/gay books were removed, OCA county director Patty Duncan says she won't rest until the entire anti-bias curriculum is scrapped. "There has got to be other curriculums out there," Duncan said, "if not, we'll write one." Perhaps that new pro-bias curriculum will include such picture books as HEATHER'S MOMMY WEARS A HOOD. Demand that the Lane County Head Start Program lift its ban on lesbian/gay resources. Contact Annie Soto, Lane County Head Start, 221 "B" St., Springfield, OR 97477, tel. 503-747-2425. A GOLD MEDAL IN BIGOTRY? Billy Payne, Preisdent of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), has publicly responded to protests concerning the 1996 Olympic events scheduled to be held in Cobb County, a county that has enacted hate legislation that condemns lesbians and gays. Since passage of that legislation, there has been a documented increase in hat crimes and Neo-Nazi/KKK activities in Cobb. Various individuals and organizations have asked -- with no success - that the Olympics Committee join in a boycott of Cobb County. In a meeting with the editorial boards of the ATLANTA JOURNAL and CONSTITUTION, Payne was asked: "But if you learned, for example, that Cobb County did not welcome black people, would that make a difference in your decision?" Payne's response: "First of all, I don't believe there is an analogy between African Americans -- who are minorities legally and given protection -- and gays and lesbians who have not yet attained that legal status." Contact Billy Payne, President, ACOG, P.O. Box 1996, Atlanta, GA 30301-1996, tel. 404-224-1901, fax 404-224-1969; Juan Antonio Samarach, President, International Olympic Committee, Chateau de Vidy, CH-1007, Lausanne, Switzerland, fax 011-411-624-1552. For more information, contact the Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition, P.O. Box 77341, Atlanta, GA 30357-1341, tel. 404-798-7822. LEADER IN HOMOPHOBIA The March 29th edition of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER (one of the largest newspapers in Kentucky) featured a long-winded commentary titled "Society Has Duty to Stop Those Who March Toward Destruction." The article was authored by Tim Philpot, a state senator who is working overtime to reinstate sodomy laws. Philpot argues that homosexuality "has been illegal since the beginning of time" and is an "addictive behavior" that is "killing people." He states: "Even though homosexuals represent one-quarter percent of the population, they perpetrate between one-third and one-half of all child molestations. Homosexual teachers have committed a large percentage of pupils and are at least 12 times more apt to molest children than heterosexuals." These and countless other defamatory remarks made by Philpot are pretty familiar dribble. Significantly, however, the editors of the paper offered no rebuttal to Philpot's litany of lies. Contact David Holwerk, Editorial Page Editor, LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 100 Midland Ave., Lexington, KY 40508, tel. 606-231-3224, fax 606-255-7236. KFRC TELLS LESBIANS/GAYS: "GO TO HELL!" San Francisco radio station KFRC is offering a hostile response to listeners who have complained about the stationshomophobic disc jockeys. Reportedly, KFRC's morning DJs have -- among other things -- used public air waves to call lesbians and gays "sick and pathetic." When a GLAAD representative called the station and asked to speak to the General Managerabout this issue, the KFRC receptionist told our caller to "go to hell!" and hung up the phone. Other than assigning us to eternal damnation, the radio station has refused to respond to complaints from lesbians and gays. Keep those cards and letters -- and phone calls! -- coming. Contat David Bramnick, General Manager, KFRC, 500 Washington St., SF, CA 94111, tel. 415-391-9970, fax 415-397-7655. MEDIA BRIEFS A folder regarding lesbian/gay/bisexual programming needs is currently active on America Online's National Public Radio discussion section. Add your input by using AOL's keyword "NPR," then go into the "National Public Radio Outreach Folder," then "Talk About Radio" and finally, "Gay/Les/Bi Program on NPR." Continental Airlines reports that "hundreds of hostile letters" have been received over the last few weeks protesting the company's role as Official Airline of the Gay GamesIV & Cultural Festival. Supportive letters should be sent to Customer Relations, Continental Airlines, 9999 Rihmond Av., Houston, TX 77042. The San Francisco International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival takes place June 9 through 19. For details, call Frameline at 415-703-8650 or 800-869-1996. 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.