Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:44:03 -0700 From: GLAAD Subject: GLAAD REACTS TO ABC WAFFLING ON ELLEN ABC TAKES A "WAIT-AND-SEE" STANCE ON AIRING "COMING OUT" EPISODE PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alan Klein (212) 807-1700 Pager: (800) 601-5483 (please include area code) Email: klein@glaad.org GLAAD REACTS TO ABC WAFFLING ON ELLEN ABC TAKES A "WAIT-AND-SEE" STANCE ON AIRING "COMING OUT" EPISODE WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 10, 1997-According to the Associated Press, ABC's Ellen is ready to "come out." However, AP reports, "it's another question whether ABC is ready to let her." ABC Entertainment President Jamie Tarses admitted this week that an episode of the sitcom that reveals that Ellen DeGeneres' title character is a lesbian is in the works. The ABC executive also stated that the network will "wait-and-see" whether the episode will air. In the January 10 wire story, Tarses is quoted telling reporters at the Television Critics Association meeting, "We are very seriously considering about going in the direction that everyone's speculating on." She would not, however, make any guarantees that the episode will air and stated that she and other ABC executives would make the final decision on the episode's fate. It has also been reported that Ellen will go off the air in March and April in order to make room for a new sitcom that stars Arsenio Hall. Ellen is expected to return for the May sweeps. The following is a statement from GLAAD's Managing Director William Waybourn: "It is a great tragedy that ABC is now waffling on what could be one of the boldest and most dramatic steps ever taken by an American television network. It defies understanding that ABC would float yet another trial balloon to determine if they should air this groundbreaking episode of Ellen after the first trial balloon rose so successfully and to such unexpected heights. We hope that with the ascension of Jamie Tarses we will see ABC do the right thing and take a stand for diversity that includes lesbian and gay Americans. Diversity is a hallmark of American life-not fear and ignorance which only perpetuate bigotry and hatred. It would be a grave injustice if ABC robbed the American public of this tremendous opportunity to get to know such a positive lesbian character." GLAAD maintains an "Ellen Watch" World Wide Web page at http://www.glaad.org. GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.