Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 16:31:14 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD TO HOST ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FORUM GLAAD TO HOST ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FORUM "GLAAD is thrilled to be planning this meeting, which promises to include some of Hollywood's most prominent creative professionals. We are especially pleased already to have Miramax Films on board as a participant. The forum will be a vehicle to discuss issues of diversity and inclusiveness in film, and will undoubtedly prove to be enormously influential and meaningful." -Joan M. Garry, GLAAD Executive Director NEW YORK, NY, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1998 -- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that they will convene a group of entertainment industry professionals to discuss the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender images in film. GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry and Director of Communications Jennifer H. Einhorn met with Miramax Co-Chairman and 1998 GLAAD Media Award-winner Harvey Weinstein on Sept. 1 to discuss questions raised by members of the lesbian and gay community regarding the level of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender representation in Miramax's recent release, 54. The film is based on the once-popular nightclub Studio 54, which had been a legendary fixture within the community. GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry said, "We count Miramax among our trusted friends. Our appreciation of Miramax's vast body of lesbian- and gay-themed films led us to bestow upon its co-chairmen one of our highest honors this year. It was precisely that respect which led to one of the more informative and fruitful discussions we've had with one of the most prolific and respected members of the industry." Miramax's co-chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein were presented with the Excellence in Media Award at the GLAAD Media Awards earlier this year. The brothers were chosen because of their work on such lesbian- and gay-themed films as The Crying Game, French Twist, Priest, Truth or Dare, Unzipped, and the soon-to-be-released Velvet Goldmine. Other Miramax films include Good Will Hunting, The English Patient, Pulp Fiction and Bullets Over Broadway. "This forum for industry professionals will be an ideal opportunity for a creative and high-level analysis of the quality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender representations throughout Hollywood," Garry continued. "We immediately recognized the educational impact that such a meeting would have upon the community and upon the entertainment industry." (end) GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of 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 a national organization that 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.