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Gay New Mexico

KUNM-FM Celebrates National Coming Out Day

KUNM Press Release

Contact: Rachel Maurer, 277-1821
             Marcos Martinez, 277-9980

September 11, 1997

On Saturday, Oct. 11, KUNM, 89.9 FM, will commemorate National Coming Out Day by broadcasting a full day of programs focusing on gay and lesbian issues, people and music.

From 9 a.m until 10 p.m., KUNM will present a variety of locally-produced shows addressing topics such as gay and lesbian marriage, parenting, politics and issues in the Hispanic and Jewish gay and lesbian communities.

Also scheduled are interviews with Urvashi Vaid, an author and the director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute in Washington D.C., and early ACT UP activist Michaelangelo Signorile, author of the 1991 best-seller, "Queer In America: Sex, the Media, and the Closets of Power."

KUNM's "Folk Music USA" will highlight gay and lesbian folk musicians and to round out the day's program KUNM has planned a disco fever dance party.  

In addition, KUNM has recorded many New Mexican's coming out stories. These 2-5 minute vignettes will be played throughout the day.

National Coming Out Day was started in 1988 by Rob Eichberg, a former Santa Fe resident who died in 1995, to commemorate the first two gay and lesbian marches on Washington, D.C., which both occurred on Oct.11 in 1981 and 1987. On this day every year, people are encouraged to live their lives openly, honestly and with integrity by "coming out" and embracing their gay and lesbian identities.

"For several years, KUNM has served New Mexico's gay and lesbian community by broadcasting the weekly program "This Way Out," an international gay and lesbian news and features magazine," says Richard Towne, KUNM general manager. "We hope to increase our service to the community by providing local and regional coverage of news, issues, music and culture on National Coming Out Day. We are also grateful to the community volunteers who are making this special broadcast possible."

KUNM's full line-up of programming for National Coming Out Day is as follows:

9-11 a.m. "Folk Music USA" host Ruth Kirkpatrick will present folk music by gay and lesbian artists as well as music by other folk musicians dealing with gay and lesbian issues.

11a.m.-1 p.m. "Women's Focus" with host Carol Boss will feature lesbian performing artists talking about their work and about being "out of the closet." One of the featured artists will be Joana "Juba-Ometse" Clayton, performer and director of the University of New Mexico's Womens Center.

1-2 p.m. Live radio call-in program on gay and lesbian political issues. Guests will include people who attended Summit `97, a statewide conference on issues affecting gays and lesbians held in Las Cruces Sept. 26-28.

2-3 p.m. "This Way Out" Specials, features interviews with Michaelangelo Signorile, author of the 1991 best-seller, "Queer In America: Sex, the Media, and the Closets of Power," and of "Outing Yourself," and author Urvashi Vaid, director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.

3-4 p.m. "Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays," (PFLAG) will present a round table discussion with gay teens and their parents, talking about coming out, and for the parents, the journey to acceptance and beyond.

4-6 p.m. " Raices," Host Guille Quiroz will talk with guests from the local Latino gay and lesbian community to share stories, commentary and music.

6-7 p.m. National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

7-8 p.m. Jewish Alliance program. A taped discussion, with music, about the experience of gay and lesbian Jews.

8-10 p.m. "The First Annual National Coming Out Day Queen of the Desert Disco Dance Extravaganza," Carla Reme and Amanda Bolles will host two hours of pulsating disco music to complete the day's special programming.

KUNM is the University of New Mexico's public radio station which serves central and northern New Mexico. For more information about KUNM's National Coming Out Day programming please call 277-9980.

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