FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE _IN THE LIFE_ RETURNS TO PUBLIC TV WITH NEW SEASON OF MUSIC, COMEDY, AND FACETS OF GAY & LESBIAN LIFE Janis Ian, Diane Schuur and Lea DeLaria Featured in October Opener, _Gay Pride--Great Performances_ Programs, Services Dedicated to Lesbian and Gay Youth Are Focus of November Offering, _School's OUT!_ Featuring Music Duo Romanovsky & Phillips and Karen Williams _IN THE LIFE_, television's only continuing series devoted to lesbian and gay life, returns this fall with an all-new season of entertaining and lively half-hour programs spotlighting comedy, music, politics, the arts, and a full range of gay and lesbian issues. October Program The season opener, premiering in October on public television stations (see accompanying list for exact airdate and channel in your area) [I haven't yet typed this in, but could provide it if there is interest], celebrates _Gay Pride--Great Performances_, with a line-up of some of the best musical and comedy performances from gay pride celebrations held across the country this past summer. Musical guests on the fast-paced show, which was taped everywhere from Seattle to San Francisco, and from New York to Northhampton, include singer-songwriter Janis Ian, who performs her hit "At Seventeen"; playwright Harvey Fierstein and jazz great Diane Schuur, performing Cole Porter songs with the Seattle Men's Chorus; the self- proclaimed "white trash country-gospel duo" Y'All; and singer Jimmy Somerville, best known for his work with the British pop band Bronski Beat. _Gay Pride--Great Performances_ is hosted by high-energy, "in- your-face" comic Lea DeLaria, who serves as a roving reporter, capturing the color and excitement of gay pride parades and celebrations across the country; talking with people about what gay pride means to them; and visiting the site of "Stonewall" in New York's Greenwich Village, where gay and lesbian pride was born. DeLaria, who recently emceed the historic gay and lesbian march on Washington, broke new ground when she appeared last spring on the _Arsenio Hall Show_--the first openly gay comic on a late-night talk show. November Program November's _IN THE LIFE_ offering (check local listings) is _School's OUT!--Lesbian and Gay Youth_, an overview of the challenges facing gay and lesbian teenagers and emerging special programs available to them. Performer Karen Williams hosts the program, which features interviews at New York City's Hetrick-Martin Institute (which created the historic Harvey Milk School for gay and lesbian teens) with administrators who talk about the bashings and harassment young homosexuals receive and the ground-breaking recreational programs and counseling now available to them. Also featured are "peer educators" who work with high-schoolers on issues of homophobia; a gay teacher who speaks of the dilemmas facing gay educators when they see gay and lesbian kids in need of emotional and spiritual support; performances and reminiscences by the gay music duo Romanovsky & Phillips; and excerpts from films, videos, and theatre pieces addressing the concerns of young gays and lesbians and their parents. _School's OUT!--Lesbian and Gay Youth_ also provides a new element of _IN THE LIFE_ programs--the _IN THE LIFE_ "Fact File"--news for viewers relevant to the show's topic. Among statistics revealed in the program: --Half of all lesbian/gay youth interviewed (in "Male Homosexuality: The Adolescent's Perspective") report that their parents rejected them due to their sexual orientation. --There are more than 170 organizations nationwide dealing with lesbian, gay and bisexual youth (per Hetrick-Martin Institute). --45 percent of gay males and 20 percent of lesbians experience verbal or physical assault in high school; 28 percent of these youths are forced to drop out because of anti-gay harassment (from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force "Anti Gay/Lesbian Victimization" study). _IN THE LIFE_ "Increasingly and happily, America is waking up to the fact that gays and lesbians are part of the fabric of life in this country," notes John Scagliotti, creator and Executive Producer of _IN THE LIFE_. "In the new season we want viewers to see that the community has many facets--and many faces--and that they're all playing a part in helping to shape mainstream styles, attitudes, arts, and politics. We continue to be extremely grateful for the grassroots financial support our series receives from individual _IN THE LIFE_ members nationwide." The series' new season, featuring eight new episodes, will include wide-ranging magazine formats as well as shows devoted to one topic or idea. While keeping its entertaining mix of music and mirth (last season features Liza Minnelli, Lily Tomlin, and Joel Grey), the series also takes on some of the vital issues and new ideas that are of concern to the gay and lesbian community. "The response to the first season of _IN THE LIFE_ was just tremendous and overwhelmingly positive," says David C. Sit, Managing Director of WNYC-TV and Co-Executive Producer of the series. "WNYC-TV has always believed in serving the underserved communities of New York, and we're happy to reach out to the country to enable other stations to serve those communities." Credits _IN THE LIFE_ is a co-production of In the Life Media Inc. and WNYC-TV. _Gay Pride--Great Performances_ is produced by C.D. Ignacio and directed by Bob Diamond. _School's OUT!_ is co-produced by Kevin McDonough and Carole ANthony and directed by Ron Spalding. Executive producer for _IN THE LIFE_ is John Scagliotti, producer of the Emmy Award-winning documentary "Before Stonewall." Associate producer is R. Katherine Brady. Development director is Jeff Lependorf. _IN THE LIFE_ is funded by a national membership network. _Gay Pride--Great Performances_ is funded in part by APP, one of the leading free membersh organizations delivering prescriptions, vitamins and community support nationwide; and Nora Beverages, maker of Naya Spring Water. ### September 1993 For further information, contact: Michael Shepley Michael Shepley Public Relations 8 West 19th Street, 7F New York, NY 10011 (212)989-7100 Judith L. Weiss WNYC-TV One Centre Street New York, NY 10007 (202)669-7749 -- Thom Watson thom@access.digex.net "What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?" --Ursula K. LeGuin