Date: Tue, Mar 14, 1995 9:35 PM From: "Charles Zweig" GLAAD REPORTS April 1995 Index: 1) Same Sex Marriages 2) Calling All Couples 3) LA's Symposium on Hawaii 4) Radical Right Slander 5) "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter" 6) "Skin Deep" 7) "Strawberry & Chocolate" 8) "Law and Order" 9) "Federal Hill" 10) "Les Roseaux Sauvages" 11) "Jenny Jones" - the Amedure Murder 12) Mel white 13) "Ricki Lake" "Richard Bey" "Charles Perez" 14) Barbara Walters and Greg Louganis 15) Media Reaction to BW & GL 16) SPEEDO 17) Dennis Prager 18) J. Paul Emerson KSFO 19) Letters" "Serving in Silence" 20) "Cybill" 21) NY Times 22) LA Times 23) NY Daily News 24) Communications Decency Act of 1995 (S.314) 25) Hate on AOL 26) Electronic Mail 27) Nestle 28) NIKE 29) GAY JAVA 30) Tracking the Ads 31) Colorado Case in the US Supreme Court 32) from Barney Frank 33) Cobb County, Jon-Ivan Weaver 34) Donna Red Wing 35) Paid Internship in Portland 36) "Law and Order" 37) "Ricki Lake Show" 38) "In the Life" 39) Buzz Magazine: Steve Tisch 40) GLAAD Chicago Randy Snyder 41) GLAAD San Diego Dennis Lucarelli 42) GLAAD San Francisco Al Kielwasser 43) GLAAD Op Ed Project 44) GLAAD Mediawatch 45) GLAAD Community Outreach 46) GLAAD Membership 47) GLAAD BBS Charles Zweig 48) GLAAD Profile David Bockoff 49) GLAAD Profile Fred Cox 50) GLAAD Profile Joyce Marquez 51) GLAAD Profile Mirav Ozeri 52) GLAAD Profile Carls Matthes & Johnson 53) Transgender and Drag "Legends" 54) National Advocacy Coalition on Youth & Sexual Orientation 55) Vanity Fair 56) CTN Magazine for the Deaf 57) Rush, him mad 58) Support those who support us 59) Sexual Orientation in the Workplace GLAAD Reports - April '95 Carl Matthes, Editor (213) 254-2726; fax (213) 257-5878 1) Same-Sex Marriages In 1993 the Supreme Court of Hawaii held that the state's denial of marriage licenses to three same-sex couples appears to violate the state constitutional guarantee of equal protection. It sent the case back to the lower court, where unle ss the state can show a "compelling" reason why same-sex couples should not have the same marriage rights as other couples, the discrimination must stop. Because there is no good, let alone "compelling," reason for imposing a "different-sex" restriction on people's right to marry the person they love, it is likely that same-sex couples will soon win the equal right to marry. Many same-sex couples in and out of Hawaii are likely to get married. Those who travel to Hawaii to marry will return to their homes in the rest of the country expecting full legal nationwide recognition of their marriages. After all, marriage is marriage; it's a fundamental right; if you're married, you're married; this is one country and we don't get a marriage visa when we cross a state border. Unfortunately, just as historically many groups were denied the right to marry or subjected to restrictions on whom they could marry (for example, based on race), there will probably be efforts to strip awa y this basic human right from lesbian and gay Americans. Throughout the country, we must now undertake the public education, political organizing, and just plain asking people and groups for support, while preparing, too, for the litigation and political backlash that will follow. One obstacle we face in garnering support for equal marriage rights is the invisibility of same-sex relationships. Many Americans do not know even realize that committed, same-sex relationships exist, or that lesbians and gay men are still denied the right to marry! Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and GLAAD have produced a brochure as one step in this educational campaign. It is designed to answer basic questions about equal marriage rights and to enlist your support in fighting this current human rights battle. Why do we need "gay marriage"? We don't. The term "gay marriage" implies that same-sex couples are asking for rights or privileges that married couples do not have. What we are asking for is our equal right to marry the one we love and care for, just as non-gay Americans do. Do we really need these rights? Absolutely. Many same-sex couples share the same responsibilities as married couples. However, nowhere in the United States do they receive the same recognition or benefits that married couples do. In fact, they face tremendous discrimination. For example, lesbians and gay men who have been their partner's primary caretaker are often denied hospital visitation when there's been an accident or illness, or the ability to obtain "family" health coverage, or taxation and inheritance rights, or even protection in case the relationship ends. Sometimes they see their children taken away, or their role as parents denied! Regardless of the fact that they have taken responsibility for their partner's well-being, both economically and emotionally, legally their status is, at best, that of a roommate. Finally, lesbians and gay men are denied t he emotional, social, and even religious meaning that marriage has for many. What about domestic partnership? In certain cities, municipalities, and companies, there is limited recognition of relationships between unmarried partners, including same-sex couples. The benefits and responsibilities of such "domestic partnerships" vary considerably. However, no domestic partnership plan can confer the same set of benefits and responsibilities that marriage does. Domestic partnership is of limited help to some unmarried couples, but is no substitute for the equal right to marry. Isn't marriage really about procreation? No. Many non-gay people marry, and cannot or do not have children. And many gay men and lesbians do have children, but are so far denied the right to raise those children within a marital relationship. Legally and in reality, marriage is best understood as a relationship of emotional and financial interdependence between two people who make a public commitm ent. Many of them -- gay or non-gay -- wish to be parents; many others do not. The choice belongs to the couple, not the state. Doesn't marriage promote some of the sexist or exclusionary "family values" that we have been struggling to resist? No. Equal marriage rights give same-sex couples access to the same resources, rights, and responsibilities that married couples have. Securing gay people's equal right to marry actually promotes a more inclusive society by providing equal access to what remains the central institution of our society. As long as this is true, marriage should provide legitimacy and support for all committed unions. Sexism and other forms of discrimination are wrong, in or out of marriage. Don't some religions oppose lesbian and gay relationships? Yes, but this is not a fight to force any church to perform or extend religious recognition to any marriages it doesn't want to. This is about the right to the civil marriage license issued by the state, w hich religious groups should not interfere with (just as the state should not interfere with religious ceremonies one way or the other). Of course, many lesbians and gay men are active in their respective religions, many of which do recognize and support their loving unions and commitments. Isn't this a bad time to fight for the right to marry? To some, there is never a good time to fight any battle for equal rights. In this particular battle, the timeline centers on the lawsuit. When and if the Hawaii Supreme Court hands down a final ruling affirming the right of same-sex couples to be married, the validity of those legally contracted marriages will either be respected by the states and the federal government, or not. As always in the struggle for human rights, the outcome will depend on how well those committed to equal rights have prepared for the state-by-state and national legal and political battles, beginning now. Just a generation ago, a similar "same-race" res triction was in place, and state governments denied interracial couples the right to marry (a century before that, African-Americans were not even permitted to marry at all!). Today we realize that this was wrong, and the choice of a marriage partner belongs to each man or woman, not the state. The same is true for lesbians and gay men. It's a matter of basic fairness, social responsibility, civic equality, and human dignity. How can I help? By getting the word out, and becoming part of a broad-based coalition of individuals and groups that support equal marriage rights. Make sure that you, and any group you belong to, sign on to the Marriage Resolution contained in this brochure. By endorsing the Marriage Resolution, you are telling politicians, judges, and others that it is time to end this discrimination against lesbians and gay men throughout the United States. The Marriage Resolution "RESOLVED, [this organization or individual] supports lesbian and gay couples' right to marry, and to share fully in the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage." Contact us at: The Marriage Project Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund 666 Broadway, 12th Floor New York, NY 10012 (212) 995-8585 (212) 995-2306 (fax) Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund is the nation's oldest and largest lesbian and gay legal rights organization. Together with others, Lambda's Marriage Project coordinates the legal and political work needed for lesbians and gay men to win and keep the right to marry. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation fights exclusively for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Working with Lambda and others, GLAAD seeks to assist the media to better educate the American public about same-sex relationships and equal marriage rights. 2) Calling All Couples GLAAD has embarked on a plan t o educate the public about lesbian and gay relationships and the need for equal marriage rights. As part of this plan, GLAAD is assembling a diverse pool of same-sex couples who are in marital-type relationships and who would be available to talk to the press. Please contact the New York office for more information: (212) 807-1700. 3) Will Hawaii Lead the Way? GLAAD's General Meeting on February 28 in Los Angeles had a symposium on Gay & Lesbian Marriage in Hawaii. The issue of marriage for gays and lesbians may be the most important issue we face this coming year as we wait for the decision from the Hawaiian courts. Panelists included Lorri Jean, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center, J. Craig Fong of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, May Yamamoto of the Japanese American Cultural League (JACL), Rabbi Denise L. Egers of Congregation Kol Ami and Bettina Boxall from the Los Angeles Times. Jody Hoenninger, Los Angeles Council Member, facilitated the meeting. Conclusion: There will be tests in all the other states and the radical right is already preparing. They will attack in California because California has a constitution that forbids discrimination based on sex. Right now the radical right is preparing an initiative to revise the California constitution to define marriage as solely between a man and a woman. Focus on the Family, an ultra-right wing hate group in Colorado Springs, has already had a convention of 8,000 to prepare their attack. We have 18 months and an enormous amount of education and persuasion to do to get moving. 4) In Honolulu... From the Frontline by Tom Ramsey Secretary HERMP This last Monday (Feb. 20), two Honolulu fundamentalists put large ads in both of Honolulu's daily newspapers, ads which called for a constitutional ban on same-gender marriage and opposed domestic partnerships. I have appended the full text of the ad for those of you inter ested in doing a deconstructive or psychoanalytic analysis (I personally find the charge that gays are interested in bigamy a rather curious projection). Please do not read the appended ad, if you have a weak stomach for this sort of vile stream-of-consciousness. HERMP does not directly respond to McGivern-type ads. First, we don't have the money and second, it's dumb. Even if we had the money, there are many ways to be much more effective. This sensible quiet on our part (much appreciated in a state where harmony is a cultural ideal) is rather hard for some of our supporters to endure. Your comments and support may be to: Tom Ramsey, HERMP/GLCC, 1820 University Ave., Honolulu, HI 96822. The McGivern/Headrick Ad An Open Letter to Every Legislator and the Public Do you care if Hawaii becomes known as the Sodom and Gomorrah of the world, a paradise for homosexuals who wish to marry? Do you want to bring God's wrath down on our Hawaiian islands? This legislative sessio n is your only chance to stand up and support a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. Read on, for we'll give you some good reasons to support it. First, if you don't support a constitutional amendment, it may be all over! For, if a domestic partnership bill becomes law, it would give the plaintiffs in the same sex marriage case the greatest, valid legal arguments to win the pending court case. Extending domestic partnerships is not a carrot to homosexuals and lesbians. It's the greatest gift, as it clearly establishes legal grounds to win a same sex marriage case in Hawaii. It's not one or the other. If you do nothing this session, you will have left the State Attorney General's office in the position of coming up with compelling state interests in court to prevent same sex marriage. This is the same Attorney General's office we beat twice recently in federal court - and we were supposed to be a pus hover! As you know, each state currently recognizes the marriages and divorces of every other state. Child support laws are recognized, too. But, half of our states have laws against sodomy. They'll never recognize same sex marriages, even if it means their states recognize NO marriages from Hawaii. Yes, this is being talked about and one national conservative organization is already working on contacting all attorney generals in the United States. Will these states recognize any of our state's marriages - even heterosexual marriages - if they cannot discriminate against homosexual and lesbian marriages? Normal heterosexual couples married here who move to the mainland may find their marriages not recognized. And half the states---or more---would be so ticked with Hawaii, you could kiss those tourists goodbye! They'd do nothing to help promote Hawaii. And what about the school children right here in Hawaii? Are they to be taught in public elementary schools that when they grow up they can choose to form a family of a daddy and a mommy, or two mommies, or two daddies? Is that what is meant by an education second to none? It's no joke! Do you want our youth corrupted at the earliest ages? This is not a matter of civil rights. It never has been. No one has a right to do what is evil or wrong. Who has a civil right to push a perversion of sexuality on society? Who has a right to engage in abnormal sexual relations, and then ask all society to bless and protect it? And set up the youth to indoctrinate them early? Did you ever hear the expression "Sex at Eight---Before It's Too Late?" Yes, it's no secret that some homosexuals want all age of consent laws removed from the law books. If a law protects homosexuals and lesbians in domestic partnerships or marriage, it protects them in many other ways. No comments could be made in the schools against that lifestyles [sic]. And why, if same sex marriage is approved, should homo sexuals be limited to just one marriage partner? Down with the bigamy laws, for they restrict their civil rights, too! And why should two homosexual men have to divorce to end a marriage? Down with divorce laws that impinge on civil rights, too! Just marry someone else, because bigamy would be allowed. It never ends. You can't compromise with evil - it just leads to more evil. No one gives a constitutional amendment much of a chance now, but we still believe in miracles. How about it Senators and Representatives? Think - deeply - before you act. Moreover, a constitutional amendment will cost the taxpayers virtually nothing, compared to, perhaps, over $100 million in costs for domestic partnership alone. Both California and Washington, although they have city domestic partnership laws, turned their backs on it for the entire state. One Washington state senator said costs to that state would have been in excess of $100,000,000 for domestic partnership. DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY WOES IN HAWAII? THANK YOU FOR READING THIS. THE PEACE OF CHRIST BE WITH YOU! SINCERELY, Daniel P. McGivern, President, McGivern Mass Marketing, Inc. Rev. Harold Headrick, Pastor Honolulu Assembly of God We were the successful plaintiffs, led by our able attorney who prevailed to have the U.S. District Court remove four members on the Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law. That crippled the commission and led to its demise in the current legislative session. We do know what we are talking about - and we are up on the law!! Film, Television & Stage Two Films by Lesbians Nominated for Academy Awards 5) "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,'' a first film by out lesbian Deborah Hoffman, and "Straight From the Heart," a 24-minute short by out lesbian Frances Reid, were both nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences for 1994 Academy Awards. And, almost as unbelievable as some story lines about lesbians are in Hollywood films, Deborah and Frances ha ve been real-life lovers for the last ten years! ("Complaints" is Deborah's personal story about coming to terms with her mother's fight with Alzheimer's disease, while "Straight" is about parents learning to accept their gay and lesbian children.) When the couple got the word, they were at a Berlin Film Festival news conference for American independent filmmakers. Frances was reading the list of nominees over Deborah's shoulder when she noticed her film in the documentary short category. "I shrieked, '"Straight From the Heart!' That's my film!''' Francis recalls. "I think Debbie and I hugged each other and I kissed her on the cheek. Everything felt like it was whirling around. I had to sit down...I think we're probably the first lesbian couple ever nominated for Oscars at the same time.'' 6) Frances is currently working on "Skin Deep,'' a film about college students' attitudes toward race relations. The two women met while working on "The Times of Harvey Milk,'' R ob Epstein's Oscar-winning documentary. You may reach Frances Reid through: Woman Vision, 3145 Geary Blvd., Box 421, San Francisco, CA 94118; Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. 7) "Strawberry and Chocolate" Receives Academy Award Nomination The critically acclaimed Cuban film "Strawberry and Chocolate," directed by Thomas Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio, has received a "Best Foreign Language Film" Academy Award nomination. Set in 1979 Havana, the film depicts the relationship between gay Diego (Jorge Perugorria) and straight David (Vladimir Cruz). This Robert Reford/Miramax presented film is layered with socio-economic, political and sexual concerns and has gained international recognition. Comments to: "Stawberry and Chocolate," Miramax Films, 7920 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90069; Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. 8) No Law and Order Here The February 15 broadcast of "Law & Order" engaged in an uncharacteristic assault on lesbian mothers. In the episode, police detectives Briscoe and Logan (portrayed by actors Jerry Orbach and Chris North) interview a lesbian couple, one of whom is pregnant. After leaving the couple's apartment, Logan remarks to his partner: "Brother...and I thought I had it bad being brought up by two alcoholics." His partner snidely replies: "I wonder which mommy's going to teach him how to smoke and drink?" This lesbian bashing continues, as Logan says: "Well, it's the nineties...eveyone's allowed to be gross and disgusting, not just you...Well, all I know is that I had one mommy and she did enough ball-breaking for one lifetime." Of course, television programs should portray homophobia; it's a pervasive social disease that demands the nation's attention. However, in this case, the portrayal is simply gratuitous. The police officers' hateful comments are never challenged. No other references t o lesbians or gays occur anywhere else in the episode. This sort of fictional dialogue is indefensible at a time when the children of real life lesbians are being torn from their homes by homophobic courts. "Law & Order" missed an opportunity to explore this urgent and compelling issue. Instead, the program simply pandered to those who - like Detectives Briscoe and Logan - think that lesbian parenting is "gross and disgusting." NBC-TV recently adopted a policy against defaming any minority group in its programming, including lesbians and gays. Given this recent "Law & Order" episode, perhaps the network needs to reaffirm that commitment. Contact: Warren Littlefield, Vice President of Entertainment, c/o NBC Viewer Services, 30 Rockerfeller Plaza, New York 10112. 9) "Federal Hill" In limited release, is director-producer-screenwriter Michael Corrente's $80,000 budgeted film, "Federal Hill." Populated with attractive and talented actors, this male-bonding-rite-of-pa ssage Trimark release, follows the activities of several young Italian American friends, who have grown up together and are trying to survive in an adult world. Survival techniques include house-breaking, robbery and drug dealing. The spark plug for the group's criminal activity is Ralph (Nicolas Turturro, also seen on ABC-TV's "NYPD Blue"), who sports a very short fuse and whose anger, frustration and cunning knows no bounds. Ralph, in addition to being very possessive of his handsome friend Nicky (with whom he shares a double bed), also takes delight in maliciously baiting a gay man and ripping an earring from his ear. But Ralph also displays a most affectionate and caring attitude towards his father (even bathing him). This on screen father/son relationship is quite unique. Within its confines, "Federal Hill" entertains. As for the violent gay-bashing, Corrente shows that anger, frustration and ignorance, spawn bigotry, hate and violence. Comments to: "Federal Hil l," c/o Trimark Pictures, 2644 30th St., Santa Monica, CA. 10) "Les Roseaux Sauvages" "Les Roseaux Sauvages" ("Wild Reeds") won three Cesars, the equivalent of the Oscars, so not only is it a top film and one aimed at all audiences, but it has a sensitive gay theme. A group of young people, all very good looking, are in the last stages of study before their crucial "baccalaureat" exams. One is gay and the frank and open treatment of his encounter with his friend reaches a new level in cinema. Showing that it is Hollywood which still has a hangup on a male to male kiss. Director Andre Techine. Thanks may go to: Michael Rumpf, Executive director of Gay & Lesbian Media Coalition, 8455 Beverly Blvd., #309, Los Angeles 90048, who brought this film to the screen in this country. 11) On the Talk Show Scene Death on the Airwaves... A man in Michigan kills Scott Amedure. The reason? Scott admitted during a taping of "Jenny Jones," a Chicago-based syndicated talk show, that he had a crush on the man and was going to reveal this crush on television. When John Schmitz went to Chicago to tape a segment of "The Jenny Jones Show" on Monday, he was told he'd be meeting a secret admirer. Walking onstage, he saw his friend Donna Riley, who lived in his Orion Township apartment complex, and her friend Scott Amedure, 32, also of Orion Township. Schmitz, 24, leaned over and kissed Riley. Then, police and friends of Schmitz said, Jenny Jones told him it was Amedure who had the secret attraction and the show was about men who have crushes on other men. Schmitz told the audience he was heterosexual. But Schmitz really was embarrassed, according to Oakland County Sheriff's Lt. Bruce Naile. Schmitz was taken into custody and claims that the only reason he went to the taping was because the producers of "Jones" told him it "was a female" who had a secret crush on him. The "Today" show (NBC-TV) on Friday, March 10, featured the Jones/Amedure story and interviewed talk show host Rolanda Watts and Penn State Sociologist Dr. Vicki Abt regarding the wisdom of putting "dysfunctional" people into the "pressure cooker" of television. When asked about talk shows that "revel in orchestrating these kinds of surprises," Ms. Watts explained that her show has a reputation for being a "caring show." Guests are routinely put in contact with therapists, there is a follow-up of "troubled guests," and the show has an on-staff counselor. Dr. Abt was not sympathetic to the talk show procedure explaining her own feelings after an appearance on "Oprah." Unfortunately, and as usual, not enough time was allowed for this interview. The guest murdered the man three days after the taping. "It would be premature to comment on the specifics of this case, but what I can say is that GLAAD has seen an increase in talk show segments that degrade and dehumanize lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered persons," said Ellen Carton, GLAAD Ex ecutive Director. "These segments turn us into objects of derision, which makes us potential targets of hatred and violence." "Jones" will not be airing the show. Your comments to: "Jenny Jones," P.O. Box 3333, Chicago, IL 60654; Steve Friedman, Executive Producer, "Today," 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Room 304, New York 10112; NBC-TV "Today": (today@news.nbc.com) 12) Battle for the Airwaves Continues... Meanwhile, Mel White, the former closeted minister and ghostwriter for Pat Robertson and others, ended his three-week fast after his former boss, Robertson, met with him briefly in jail. White had been arrested for "trespassing" after he refused to leave Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network headquarters on February 15. The notoriously homophobic Robertson, who is popping-up on television more than "I Love Lucy" reruns, declared in a letter to White that "I have never preached hate on the '700 Club' or elsewhere against (homosexuals) as you allege...I have never, nor w ill I counsel others to commit acts of violence against you or any other homosexual." Comments to: Pat Robertson, 700 Club, 700 CBN Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23463. 13) Talk Show Fusion... Remember the days when talk shows would present gay/lesbian topics, and our concerns were kept, like, separate? Well, that seems to be changing. "Ricki Lake," "Richard Bey" and "Charles Perez," syndicated talk shows emanating from New York City, are becoming more and more inclusive when booking their guests. If there is a show about friends who are angry because their best friend took their boy or girl friend, included are lesbians and gay men. (America is discovering that gay men and lesbians can be just as angry and possessive over their love interests as anyone else.) Or, if the focus is on teens whose parents can't understand them, out g/l teens are on the panel, right alongside the straight ones. Audience reaction? Perez and Lake set an inclusive tone and challenge hom ophobic or bigoted remarks immediately. Counselors, who are guests, have been non-judgmental, respectful in their comments and acceptive of sexual orientation differences. Audiences seem to be supportive. On shows involving having babies and raising children, there are some audience members who just can't grasp the fact that lesbians and gay men have babies, raise productive children and admire and respect families. "The Richard Bey Show," which always plays to the outrageous, but is quite mysogynistic, has reduced many a gay or lesbian guest to the level of their other guests. His March 1 show, which unfortunately pitted drag queens and transvestites against "real females," and which was just as mind-boggling as his shows on "the biggest butt" and the "skinniest runt," produced the tabloid information that one drag queen put a sedative in a girl's drink so he could steal her dress. Your comments may be directed to: Ricki Lake, 401 Fifth Avenue, New York 10016; "The Ch arles Perez Show," c/o KTLA-TV, 5800 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028; "The Richard Bey Show," 445 Park Avenue, 6th Floor, New York 10022. 14) The Splash Heard 'Round the World During the last week of February, Olympic diving champion and gold medal winner Greg Louganis was everywhere to be seen. From the cover of People magazine to television shows, the world was again taken with the persona of this handsome young man. But this time the focus was not his athletic prowess, it was his sexual orientation and HIV status that was being discussed. Barbara Walters interviewed Mr. Louganis during the February 24 telecast of ABC-TV's "20/20." Pre-interview TV hype was predictable taking on the shade of supermarket tabloids. However, Ms. Walters was personable and probing, but still signaled the straight world's continuing ignorance about the transmission of HIV with her in-depth questioning of Louganis over the "blood in the water" after he hit his head on the diving boa rd during the 1988 Olympics. Louganis seemed relaxed and answered the questions put to him by Ms. Walters with wit and grace. He also was clear about his sexual orientation: Walters: In 1976 during (the) Olympics, you came to terms with something else in your mind, yes? Louganis: Yeah. I don't think that I had come to terms with my sexuality, my sexual orientation, but I was understanding what it was. W: You realized you were a homosexual. L: Right. W: And that you had known this somehow or other since you were a very little boy. L: Since I was a little boy, yeah, yeah. I knew I was different, and I didn't understand what that difference was. Comments to: Greg Louganis, P.O. Box 4130, Malibu, CA 90265-1430; "20/20," ABC-TV, 47 W. 66th St., New York 10023. 15) Online viewer comment: "If you thought it was bad that ABC-TV was hyping it as 'his darkest secret,' you should have heard the 'NBC Nightly News,' which took it upon themselves to scoop ABC. They announced Louganis was HIV+, and then went straight to the footage of him hitting his head on the diving board in the '88 games - talking about how worried he was that he got blood in the pool. "I sent NBC the following note: "I thought your slanted coverage of the announcement that Greg Louganis was HIV + was inexcusable. Bringing up the occasion in '88 when he hit his head on a diving board and supposedly worried about the blood in the pool is as bad as any Republican hysterics I've ever seen. "His new book no doubt contains hundreds of pages of detail about the life of one of America's great sports heroes. A damn pity you had to focus on one ancillary event, and cheapen what could have been a very meaningful story - and educational opportunity - for all Americans. "Honestly, from NBC, I expected better." Comments to: "NBC Nightly News": America Online, Keyword NBC:nightly@news.nbc.com "The NBC-TV 'Today' show ran an expanded segment on Friday morning, Feb. 24 with the diving board clip, the ABC-TV '20/20' teaser, a Olympic diving committee member and past/current friend of Greg's, the diver which followed Greg, and Dr. Harold Jaffee. The Associated Press report mentioned that Greg said that he was concerned at the time, but felt that the chlorine in the water would dilute/kill the virus. Dr. Jaffee agreed. "The only concerning thing was that the Olympic Committee guy mentioned that they now have specific protocols to handle such situations. Katie Couric tried to get him to say what they were, but he either avoided the question or did not understand what she was asking. As usual, they didn't have enough time." Comments to: NBC-TV "Today": (today@news.nbc.com); Steve Friedman, Executive Producer, "Today," 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Room 304, New York 10112. >From the Press: Austin, Texas: The Austin American-Statesman had the story on the front page, downpage right. The Statesman story had all the stuff that moved on the wire i n the top of the story, i.e. HIV+ when he hit the board, stitched by doctor who didn't know. Kudos to the Statesman for getting local, sober comment - from Dr. Tom Smith, whose caseload includes a lot of PWA's: "The chlorination would kill the white blood cells where the virus would be...The risk would be non-existent." And from University of Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin, who competed with Greg at the 1984 and '88 Olympic trials, "He's always been good at dealing with adverse conditions. He has dyslexia and he dealt with that challenge as good as anyone. If anyone can make the best of this situation, he can. I pray somehow he comes out of this fine...I'm sure he cared and did everything he possibly could." Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Times' Life & Style section carried an extremely detailed story on Greg Louganis in its February 28 edition. Beginning with two full-color pictures of Greg on the first page, the article covered high points of his career - 47 nationa l titles, five world championships and five Olympic medals, including back-to-back double gold medals - and low points in his personal life. "There were so many things going on, self-esteem issues. I felt that I deserved it," said Greg (referring to the abuse from his lover, Tom, which included being raped while a knife was being held to his throat.) A sensitive article on an evidently complex personality. New York City: The New York Times had the Louganis story on B6 in its national edition. The NYT story leads with Louganis' acknowledgement of AIDS and adds that he came out at the Gay Games. Second paragraph said that he "was concerned when he hit his head...and shed blood in the pool." The story is staff-written, like almost everything in the Times, but had no new information that had not been gleaned from the previous day's story in the Chicago Sun-Times or from the transcript of the "20/20" interview that was released by ABC-TV and moved last night on the AP w ire. 16) Speedo: The Right Fit Even with all of the attention garnered by Greg Louganis with his public announcements that he is HIV positive and gay, Speedo, the bathing suit manufacturer, did not blink, and has retained Greg as an advertising spokesperson. This was done after knowing he was HIV positive, and knowing he is gay - and prior to the media blitz about Louganis in late February. The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced they have no problem with Greg's announcement and that they are supportive. Send your comments to: Ms. Linda Wachner, Vice-President, Authentic Fitness Corp., 90 Park Ave., New York 10016; Juan Antonio Samaranch, President, International Olympic Committee, Chateau de Vidy, CH-1007, Lausanne, Switzerland. 17) Dennis Prager: Wrong About the Right The "Dennis Prager Show" is yet another entry in the line-up of TV talk shows. Prager presents himself as an "intellectual," "thinking person's" host. His talk show seldom features any guests, but centers on Prager preaching to a small group of listeners in a library room-type setting. He many times sits on his desk top, adopting a "talking-down-to-his-audience" style. He is akin to Rush Limbaugh, though not nearly as conservative (or lunatic). Still, even with all the attempt at looking and sounding "intellectual," he comes off as a skewed, bigoted good ol' boy. On his February 21 show, carried by the FOX network, Prager took at look at the so-called "Christian Right." Claiming that the "Christian Right" suffered from an unfair image, Prager went on to defend certain right-wing objectives. "Everyone is allowed to participate in American politics, except the 'Christian Right,' Prager claimed. "Gays, blacks, Hispanics...you name the group, that's great, but not the 'Christian' Right. Why all this fear about the 'Christian Right?'" Worst of all, Prager went on to defend the "Christian Right's" anti-gay initiative efforts. Parroting right-wing propaganda, Pr ager claimed that the "Christian Right" is NOT against civil rights for lesbians and gays, but "special" rights. Since when is the right to work, rent a house or simply live without fear something "special?" Prager informed his audience that the "Christian Right" has been unfairly demonized. To portray the "Christian Right" as vicious or totalitarian is, in Prager's words, "wrong," "disgusting," and "anti-American." Clearly, Prager -- who portrays himself as a "liberal thinker" - has never done his homework on the "Christian Right," and he completely ignores the destructive effects of their relentless homophobia. Send feedback to: Dennis Prager, "The Dennis Prager Show," P.O. Box 480209, Los Angeles 90048; Chase Carey, President, Fox Broadcasting, P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213. 18) The Irreverent Path of Censorship "Donahue," one of the icon's of the liberal talk-show genre, brought together some of the most conservative radio talk show personalities in the nation discussing First Amendment rights during its Tuesday, February 14 telecast. Generating interest was the appearance of San Francisco's J. Paul Emerson as a panelist on the show and the resultant censorship in San Francisco of "Donahue." Unbelievably, Emerson's "Donahue" appearance was censored by an affiliate of the same company that puts him on the air every morning! Cap Cities/ABC owns both KGO television and KSFO radio, as well as the Bay Area's most popular radio station, KGO-AM. (See the GLAAD/SFBA report in this newsletter for full details on the Emerson firing.) The reaction to his appearance on "Donahue" being blacked out in San Francisco began at 5:00am on Feb. 15. Emerson launched into a 10-minute, obscenity-laced tirade about the censorship. "You don't put up with this kind of crap in America," he told a caller on the air. "That is (expletive). You can fire me for saying (expletive) if you want. Americans deserved to see this show...I hope they fire me. What a stinking company. What kind of Americans are you spineless (expletive)?...I'm so sick of that sucky crap. The message is political correctness is over.'' KGO General Manager Jim Topping said his station decided not to air the "Donahue" episode because it gave Emerson a platform to "make anti-gay, anti-AIDS patient remarks that were not balanced and that were divisive in this community." Denver talk host Ken Hamblin, whose show is nationally syndicated, gave support to Emerson on his Wednesday show, claiming that censoring the "Donahue" episode proved that liberals do not respect the First Amendment. Comments to: Phil Donahue, "Donahue," NBC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 10112; fax (212) 757-5386. 19) Letters Cammermeyer House Parties Successful... Dear Loren: Thank you for allowing us to host the "Serving in Silence" house party. We enjoyed the movie very much and the thought provoking discussions that followed. We want to assure you that GLAAD has our whole hearted support and admiration for your good work. Enclosed please find some signed "I Approve" cards...and donations for our guests. I have also posted the GLAAD bulletins in our Inflight offices in San Francisco, Minneapolis and Chicago to drum-up some volunteer base for GLAAD. Let me know what future projects you have in advance and if I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to involve your Dad and me. We are proud of you and what you are doing. Best regards, Cesar C. and Leticia R. Javier (Editor's note: Loren is a Development Assistant in the Los Angeles headquarters.) Dear GLAAD: Thank you for providing our community with so many ways to support those responsible for bringing "Serving in Silence" to the world. As co-chair of my division's Race/Human Relations Committee, I sent a flyer to the approximately 75 employees in the division (part of the San Diego Unified School District's central office). By watching "Serving in Silence" and submitting a paragraph to a committee member, they could earn two of six required hours of Race/Human Relations time. Everyone has loved filling out the enclosed cards of support! I do think it's important that Barbra, Glenn, Judy and Grethe are also thanked. In your next newsletter could you please publish how we can get in touch with them? Sincerely, Janice Garbosky Dear GLAAD: Thanks for the party! We had a wonderful house party on Salt Spring Island, B.C. It was attended by 31 women who all thoroughly enjoyed the movie, the evening, the postcards, the whole thing. We did run out of postcards very quickly - such enthusiasm. Thanks again for all your good work. Best wishes, Ruth Simkin 20) "Cybill"... To: GLAAD Newsletter From: Carmichael Smith-Low This is written by way of response to the "Cybill" article which appears in the February GLAAD Repor ts... Cybill Shepherd has long been one of the most visible and outspoken supporters of the lesbian/gay/bisexual community...Further, reasonable people could certainly disagree about how "defamatory" the two episodes described are. It is true that one does not "decide" to become a lesbian anymore than one chooses to be heterosexual. But to have it presented as a reasonable alternative is not a negative or pejorative characteristic...In the other episode, Cybill's friends are described as being "shocked and appalled" when presented with stereotypes, which is hardly defamatory... Radio & Print 21) TimesWatch New York... It's been a case of both naughty and nice at The New York Times (NYT) recently. However, good reporting on lesbian and gay concerns and inclusion in articles on non-gay issues has made the positive coverage something we can more easily accentuate. Radio Station KSFO: To get the naughtiness out of the way, GLAAD was disappointed by a February 14 NYT report by John Tierney on the furor over radio station KSFO in San Francisco. KSFO has recently adopted an all-hate format, including DJs who pollute the airwaves with racism, homophobia, and misinformation about AIDS. While we were pleased to see the NYT give this issue national attention, GLAAD feels that it devoted too much space to poisonous quotes from the shock-jocks and their allies. One extremist called groups protesting outside the station, including GLAAD San Francisco,which helped spearhead the effort, "Nazi's" intent on censorship. Had the author quoted even a single lesbian, gay, or bisexual representative of the organizations involved, he would have learned that GLAAD strongly opposes censorship and was simply exercising its first amendment right to counter this kind of hatred. Oates Answers Croce: Of the many pieces that dealt sensitively with lesbian or gay issues, Joyce Carol Oates February 19 response to Arlene Croce's controversial New Yorker piece was the most insightful and thought-provoking. Ironically, the strength of this piece was that it didn't focus exclusively on the gay or AIDS angle. Instead, its take what was largely a homophobic rant against "victim art," as Ms. Croce terms art about AIDS, and illustrates how it undermines the integrity of all art. In response to Ms. Croce's claim that she cannot objectively review art that deals with homophobia, AIDS, or other pressing social issues, Ms. Oates simply replies that "criticism is itself an art form, and like all art forms it must evolve, or atrophy and die." Gardening: The latest jewel in the grey lady's crown was a humble and unassuming piece about gardening. Written by Anne Raver for the February 16 House Proud column, it describes the winter landscape of a two decade old garden in Readsboro, Vermont. Tending the garden are Mr. Winterrowd and Mr. Eck, who met at Tufts University in 1969. Though the piece focuses on snow-colored foliage, you don't have to forage beneath the shrubbery to discover that it is also about a love affair that is made for all seasons. Comments to: The New York Times, 229 W. 43 Street, New York 10036. 22) Los Angeles... The Los Angeles Times continued its journey towards inclusion and diversity in its most recent issues. Some of the highlights included: Los Angeles Times Magazine: Smiling from the full-color cover of the March 5 edition of the LAT magazine, was Los Angeles Councilmember Jackie Goldberg, the first open lesbian to be elected to the Council. And inside the five-page spread, written by James Rainey, featured more pictures, a profile on the woman with "one of the hottest political debuts in city history," along with beautiful pictures of Jackie with "her longtime lover, Sharon Stricker," and with her son, Brian. The Silver Standard: Settling in on page six of the March 5 Calendar section of the LAT was an article entitled "The Silver Standard," an interesting account by Patrick Pacheco about Nicky Silver, one of the fastest rising authors in the country. The sub-title read "Formerly fat, permanently gay, mordantly witty - playwright Nicky Silver spins modern neuroses, family dysfunction and even AIDS into darkly comic dramatic gold." The well-written article chronicled Mr. Silver's success with "Pterodactyls" and his new work "Raised in Captivity." A great addition to Sunday morning reading. Military Discharges Declining: The LAT reported that the number of service members being discharged for homosexuality has been declining in recent years, but with the size of the armed forces shrinking, the proportion for the overall military remains about the same. Critics complain that the totals do not include cases in which commanders deal with cases by forcing gay men and lesbians out of the service on unrelated charges or by denying them the opportunity to re-enlist. Moreover, since the new policy was not put into effect until February 28, virtually all the figures reflect the situation under the previous policy. L.A.'s Latest Economic Force: Gays, Lesbians: West Hollywood's economic success, directly stems from its large concentration of gays and lesbians, who represent about one-third of its population. In many ways they anchor the city 's economic growth. This pattern reflects one of the last great assets of diverse urban areas such as Los Angeles. By being hospitable to traditional outgroups, cities attract hardworking creative entrepreneurial citizens. Nationally 53% of lesbians and gays live in cities. Gay spending power is most evident in such discretionary markets as fashion, entertainment and tourism. Liquor companies, travel firms, high-end stereo outlets and clothiers all target gay consumers. The article points out that the gay community plays a prominent role in developing industries, entertainment, music, fashion and design. In this respect, more than any other, Los Angeles' gay commun ity, with its large population can help the region rediscover the advantages of urbanity and help rebuild its economic base. Comments to: Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Shelby Coffey III, Times-Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. 23) Queers: "Socially Permissible"? The New York Daily News recently conducted a survey in which respondents were asked whether or not they agreed that homosexuality should be a "socially permissible lifestyle." The survey, presented in the February 13 issue of the newspaper, pretends to probe people's attitudes about abortion, birth control, prostitution, aging and sexual activity. The single question asked about homosexuality is offensive for multiple reasons. First, of course, the newspaper might have given some thought to the difference between a sexual orientation and a "lifestyle." But more than that, the Daily News survey perpetuates the outrageous notion that heterosexuals have the right to give homosexuals permission to exist. Our humanity is not up for a vote! That self-evident truth is apparently not so obvious to the management of the Daily News, who don't seem very mindful of "certain unalienable rights." To question such ignorant questioning, contact: Martin Dunn, Editor-in-Chief, Daily News, 220 East 42nd Street, New York 10017; fax (212) 949-2120. 24) Online Online Censorship In what promises to be one of many efforts to censor the new "information superhighway," the U.S. Senate is currently considering the "Communications Decency Act of 1995" (S. 314) In effect, the act would censor sexual information on the Internet and other online networks. If passed, this act would require online services to purge "indecent" material from public bulletin boards and discussion groups (and, of course, our lawmakers routinely interpret anything lesbian- or gay-related as "indecent"). Additionally, the act would prohibit communications with sexual content through private e-mail between consenting adults, thu s making the information superhighway the most censored of the communications media. The act is currently before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The ACLU and other civil liberties organizations are urging strong opposition to this censorious legislation. Write to the members of the Senate Commerce Committee and your own Senators and Representatives. Contact: Senator Larry Pressler, Chair, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, SR-254 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-6125; fax (202) 224-1630, e-mail Larrypressler.senate.gov. 25) Hate on the Line The MTV message board on American Online (AOL) is filled with reminders that homophobia is alive and well. Recent messages, which can be posted by any AOL user, have applauded the death of gay AIDS activist (and MTV "Real World" television star) Pedro Zamora. Among the comments: "Pedro deserved what he got! His lifestyle killed him and nothing else!" " Homosexuals brought AIDS to the U.S. in the early 1980's" (framk1t@aol.com). "I hated that fagboy...I think Pedro is where he deserves to be right now, IN HELL" (ademduritz@aol.com). "He was a fag and all fags should die and I was happy to see him get what he got" (phloutrel@aol.com). 26) Electronic Mail If you have a computer with a modem and have access to any of these nets, you can pick up this newsletter before it goes to press, about two weeks ahead of your mailbox. Queer Resources Directory: qrd@vector.casti.com Soc.motss (members of the same sex): subscribe to the UseNet Group GayNet-Digest: subscribe by sending e-mail to: majordomo@queernet.org message to consist of: subscribe gaynet-digest The newsletter is on both America Online and Internet with just the articles and an index. You can get the complete newsletter, exactly as it goes to the printer a nd at the same time it goes to the printer, by setting your modem for the GLAAD BBS, (213) 658-6516. 27) Advertising Nestle Misses the Boat, Again A refreshing list of major companies purchased advertising spots during the recent broadcast of "Serving in Silence" (GLAAD Reports, March '95). The made-for-television movie was shown by NBC on February 6th and affirmatively depicted the life story of Margarethe Cammermeyer, who was booted out of the U.S. Army for being a lesbian. Not on the list of proud sponsors, however, was Nestle USA. The company specifically pulled its advertising from the movie. According to Laurie MacDonald, Nestle's Vice President of Corporate affairs, her company adheres to a policy of not advertising on programs "deemed by a majority of the public to be controversial or not widely accepted." Citing the same policy, Nestle also refused to sponsor last year's gay wedding episode of "Northern Exposure" (CBS-TV, May 2, 1994). Such an adverti sing policy is an open invitation to homophobes, letting them know that every time they turn our lives into a "controversy," Nestle will back away from doing the right thing.Moreover, the decision to forego advertising on "Serving in Silence" actually helps to perpetuate the "controversial" and "not widely accepted" status of homosexuality in our society. Nestle is, in effect, creating the very problem the company claims to be avoiding. Complaints to: Joe Weller, Chair and CEO, Nestle USA, 800 North Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203; fax 818-549-5660. Laurie MacDonald, same address. Supportive compliments may be sent to: Warren Littlefield, Vice President of NBC Entertainment, 3000 West Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523. 28) From Nike, a Real World Ad With HIV+ Runner A recent television commercial for Nike Inc., the international shoe manufacturer, features a runner named Ric Munoz. Munoz, described as someone who runs "80 miles every week" and "10 marathons every year," i s then matter-of-factly described as someone who is HIV-positive. He is also openly gay. Joe McCarthy, advertising director for Nike in Beaverton, OR., said that the company was not making a statement about HIV or AIDS. "We wanted to tell an inspirational 'Just do it' story, and this seemed like a story that could appeal on a very emotional level. And it's grounded in sports, making it a story appropriate for Nike to tell," he explained. While some people who have opinions on HIV have complained about the commercial, "Eighty, 85 percent of the comments are positive, applauding Nike for having the courage to make this statement," said McCarthy. 29) GAY JAVA: A Special Brew for GLAAD GLAAD has become a beneficiary organization of Gay Java. $2.00 of every sale of a special GLAAD sampler will be donated to GLAAD. The $29.00 package contains Colombian Supremeo, Viennese Blend, VSR Caffe Italia and Almond Biscotti. To order, or for more information, call: 1 (800) GAY JAV A. 30) Tracking the Ads The Media Outreach Committee wants to inform the gay and lesbian community of advertisers who either support programs about our community or contribute to censorship of those programs, and you can help. The next time you watch television, keep a pencil and paper handy. If there is such content, jot down the name of the show and its sponsors. Then, call the information into the GLAAD Hotlines: In Los Angeles: (213) U R GLAAD; fax (213) 658-6776; in New York (212) 802-1700; fax (212) 807-1806. If you are an advertising industry "insider" who might have access to information about advertisers who have been under boycott or hate-campaign pressure to cease advertising on programs that are lesbian and gay positive, please call us. Any information will be treated in confidence. GLAAD News 31) Supreme Court to decide... Is America For Equality? The Supreme Court set the stage for its most significant gay-rights ruling in a decade, agreeing to decide whether states can forbid laws designed to protect homosexuals from discrimination. The court said it will review a Colorado constitutional amendment that would cancel local laws protecting gays from bias in employment, housing and public accommodations in a case brought forward by the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. The amendment, approved by Colorado voters in 1992, was struck down by state courts for denying homosexuals an equal voice in government. State officials say voters have the right to prevent homosexuals from being given "preferred legal status." Gay-rights advocates say local anti-discrimination ordinances extend civil rights protection to homosexuals but grant them no special privileges. Will Perkins, whose Colorado for Family Values, a right wing hate group, wrote and campaigned for the amendment, said homosexuals "are not entitled to the same civil rights protection as ethnic minorities or the disabled." The cities of Denver, Boulder a nd Aspen and a group of gay men and women sued, saying the amendment violated homosexuals' rights to equal protection and free speech and impeded their right to petition the government. A state judge ruled in their favor, and the Colorado Supreme Court agreed last October. "The right to participate equally in the political process is clearly affected," the state's top court said. The amendment ''singles out one form of discrimination and removes its redress from consideration by the normal political process.'' Alabama, Idaho and Virginia supported Colorado's appeal. In court papers filed by failed Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, the three states said the amendment does not impair any fundamental constitutional light. Voters in Oregon and Idaho defeated anti-gay-rights amendments last November. Eight states provide some sort of civil rights protection for homosexuals: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Wisconsin. 32) Quotable Quote... From U.S. Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass) about Rep. Dick Armey's gay slur, "Thank you very much for your expression of support after the anti-gay ('Barney Fag') comment made by Congressman Armey. While I obviously do not want to make Congress a forum for personal grievances that I might have, it did seem to me important to use this incident to show that anti-gay and lesbian prejudice remains a serious problem. The point I tried hardest to make was that while I as a Member of Congress am relatively protected against the negative consequences of this sort of thing, there are millions of lesbians and gay men in the rest of the country - and indeed the world - who have much less protection and it is on their behalf that I and others have tried to use this incident to show the harm that prejudice can do." 33) Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition: A Journey Towards Activism By Jon-Ivan Weaver When the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community found out that the Olympics would be coming to Atlanta, it was like a dream to come true. But this soon became a nightmare when we discovered that the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) had decided to hold an Olympic volleyball event in Cobb County, an ultra-conservative county outside Atlanta. Cobb County had just become the first American municipality to formally condemn homosexuality. The Olympics is supposed to bring together people of all races and backgrounds in a celebration of peace and harmony. However, if this event were held in Cobb County, lesbian, gay, and bisexual athletes and spectators would not be welcome. In fact, giving the rising amount of neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan activity, we might not even be safe. It would also send a very dangerous signal to the world, that this kind of bigotry is acceptable. Although I am normally a shy person, I could not be silent. Nationally-known activist Pat Hussain agreed and joined me. Out of a single protest call to ACOG grew a grass roots movement to get the Olympic Games out of Cobb County. Pat and I called our organization the Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition. Our goals were two-fold, to educate Olympic officials about the integral role lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals play in the Olympics and in society at large, and to convince them that holding an event in Cobb County was contrary to the values that the Olympics was supposed to uphold. With the support of activists, both local and nation-wide -- including GLAAD/Atlanta -- we began meeting with Olympic representatives. When they were not responsive, we went to the media and we went to the streets. We organized pickets, candlelight vigils, and traffic slow-downs. GLAAD national headquarters began pressuring Coca-Cola, a major sponsor of the games, to withdraw its support unless ACOG pulled out of Cobb County. Even Olympic medalist Greg Louganis was moved to speak out, combining his coming out statement with a plea for the Olympics to leave Cobb County. On July 29, 1994, ACOG announced that the volleyball competition would be moved from Cobb County to Athens, Georgia. This was a victory for lesbians, gay men, and world-wide, but it was also a very personal victory. We had found tremendous strength in both our community and in ourselves. No more would we be silent in the face of injustice. We had learned that when we learn to stand together and speak with one voice that the Olympics -- and the world -- will listen. (Editor's note: Together with other activists in the Atlanta area, Jon-Ivan Weaver and Pat Hussain founded Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition, one of many local organizations that GLAAD has worked with both locally and nationally.) 34) From the Portland Field Office Donna Red Wing National Field Director The hiring of Thom Kincheloe as our half-time Administrative Assistant was the highlight of the National Field Office in February. Thom comes to us with a substant ial track record in gay and lesbian volunteerism in the Pacific Northwest and a background in Public Relations and Marketing. Call GLAAD/NFO at (503) 224-5285 to welcome Thom aboard! Thom and I worked with our Field Operations Chair, Jeanie Keeny, to put the finishing touches on our 'Field Kits'. We hope to distribute those kits in mid-March as a 'start-up' for our field sites across the country. The Field Kits are available to anyone who would like to begin the process of creating a GLAAD presence in their area. I spent four days in Washington, D.C. meeting with our wonderful National Capital Area chapter. Their Media Monitoring & Response Committee was, to my delight, a real model for the field. Everyone came in excited about their clippings and tapes, eager to share, discuss and make decisions. I also met with the Board of Directors who were in the last weeks of planning for their Second Annual Media Awards. Ticket sales were brisk and there was a lot of buzz, ar ound the Beltway, about the National Press Club event. I also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from a number of organizations. PFLAG has asked me to present a Media Training at their National Conference in Indianapolis and has agreed to include materials about becoming a GLAAD Lookout in their Spring mailing. I worked with our allies at the Advocacy Institute, assisting them as they cook up a GLBT-specific Fellows training. I attended a presentation on 'Chapters' at the American Society of Association Executives, which was really interesting and informative. The highlight of the trip was the Field Directors meeting. Imagine fifteen Field Directors, representing field operations for national organizations as diverse as Lutherans Concerned, PFLAG, the Names Project, HRCF, NGLTF, the Unitarian/Universalists, the Black Gay & Lesbian Leadership Forum, GLAAD and others, coming together for the first time to look at issues specific to field structure and fie ld operations. Our task was to figure out a way that we could, as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered organizations, strengthen and mobilize our field activities in a collaborative manner. The result of that meeting, held in February at the National PFLAG office in Washington, was a commitment to plan and coordinate a Field Director's Retreat in June 1995. An invitations committee, a logistics committee and a planning committee were formed. And by noon of the next day, we had leads on siting the retreat, the beginnings of an invitational list and my committee, the planning committee, had already begun a draft of the agenda and a case study to help focus the work. We will examine our field structures to learn what works and what doesn't work. We will look at common issues such as diversity, communications and national/local tensions. We will look at ways to 'troubleshoot' in the field, ways to assist the field to feel more connected to the national process and wo rk. We hope to create a national network of Field Directors who can help coordinate field operations, who can begin to share ideas and resources and communicate in a collaborative manner. It is an exciting endeavor. I'm now gearing up for the month of March which will see me presenting speeches, workshops and trainings in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis, MO., Dallas, TX, Ames and Independence, IA., and the 10th Anniversary RSVP Cruise on the Mexican Riviera (Yes, I'm working the cruise, Harvey Fierstein and I are the keynote speakers. But, three days into the cruise I'm flying from Puerto Vallarta to Des Moines, Iowa to work with students and activists, there. Hardly enough time to even work on my tan!). March promises to be, both in-house and on-the-road, a busy, challenging month for The National Field Office. 35) Paid Full-Time Summer Internship Portland, Oregon Students Sought for Craig J. Davidson/Michael G. Valentini Internship GLAAD's NFO (National Fi eld Office) is currently seeking one full-time intern who will receive a $2,500 stipend for working 40 hours per week for twelve weeks during the Summer of 1995. The intern will assist GLAAD NFO with national chapter outreach and development, particularly targeting cities threatened by anti-gay ballot initiatives. Applicants should have strong organization and communication skills and some experience organizing within the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities. Applicants must also be enrolled as full-time graduate or undergraduate students. Send resume with cover letter to: Summer Internship, GLAAD NFO, 1130 SW Morrison, Suite 607, Portland, OR 97205 by April 30th, or contact Donna Red Wing at (503) 224-5285 for more information. GLAAD In The News 36) When "Law & Order," which has previously done an excellent job in handling minority issues, gratuitously defamed a lesbian couple, GLAAD was there to respond. GLAAD wrote to "Law & Order" Executive Producer Dick Wolf to com plain about the episode's senseless misogyny and lesbian-bashing. When he proved unreceptive to our concerns, we took our case to the community, which has been blanketing the show with complaints. Learn about how you can respond to this defamation, that is if you missed the national coverage of the flap in USA Today, where it appeared as the lead television item. 37) The "Ricki Lake Show" recently aired a segment on people whose families and friends refuse to believe that they are lesbian or gay, and GLAAD Associate Director Donald Suggs has certainly taken a lot of ribbing for his appearance on the show. Don't worry, everybody believes him. He was actually on the show to talk about stereotypes. It seems that some people have such wacky ideas about the lives of lesbians and gay men that they can't bring themselves to accept that someone near and dear to them could actually be one. They need to watch more segments like this one, which helped explode those myths. 38) "In the Life" is in the news. In addition to a rave review form The New York Time's John O'Connor, it was a "cheer" in TV Guide's "Cheers and Jeers" column. The timing couldn't be better, as this is the segment that features British filmmaker Issac Julien talking about "A Darker Shade of Black," a BBC film largely inspired by GLAAD's campaign against homophobia in the music industry. Hear GLAAD Associate Director Donald Suggs speak about it in an excerpt from the film. 39) In the April issue of BUZZ Magazine, there is a profile on television and film producer Steve Tisch. Mr. Tisch receiving the l995 Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles Media Award Ceremony is highlighted in the article. Pre-publicity coverage of the l995 Annual Media Awards appeared in the pages of: Edge, The Advocate, UCLA's 10%, Lesbian News and Nightlife. GLAAD Chapter Reports 40) From Chicago... by Randy Snyder The recent handling of the controversy by the University of Illinois at Chicago hiring hatemonger Michael Tristano is cause for alarm. Tristano has been retained by the University as Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources even though he was responsible for taking right wing deceit tactics and producing leaflets which spread fear, homophobia and divisiveness during last November's elections. In the February issue of Chicago magazine, Tristano said, "I tried to make the brochure as tasteful as possible." But, clearly, the leaflet was to cast the lesbigay community as an undeserving class of people. GLAAD/Chicago and the Illinois Federation for Human Rights met with the University's Chancellor Stukel who dismissed the issue as one of differing political beliefs and freedom of speech. In a letter to GLAAD/Chicago, the Chancellor said, "We should not, and will not, demand that our employees share a prescribed set of political beliefs." We challenge the University's response and wonder what the Chancellor would have done if Tristano had denigrated Afri can Americans, Hispanics or Jews in the same fashion. GLAAD/Chicago is pleased to announce that Deb Price, nationally syndicated columnist and lesbian, will appear as a special guest at GLAAD/Chicago's fundraiser on Saturday, September 18, 1995. The event will coincide with the hosting of the GLAAD national board meeting. The event will be held at the 410 Club and Conference Center located in the historic Wrigley Bldg. in the heart of Chicago's "Magnificent Mile." Those interested in learning more about this event may call GLAAD/Chicago at (312) 871-7633. 41) From San Diego... by Dennis Lucarelli GLAAD/San Diego is calling for letters to San Diego's only major-circulation daily, the Union Tribune, to overturn the paper's present policy of placing same-sex personal ads under the guise of "Seeking Just a Friend." This category included, until just recently, single parents and people who are really just looking for a friend, rather than a love relationship. The U/T n eeds regular reminders of the benefits of serving the entire San Diego community - gay men and lesbians included. Send your comments to: Karen E. Winner, Editor, Union Tribune, Box 191, San Diego, CA 92112; copy to: Mack Quintana, Dir. of Sales/Marketing, same address. Events in April include: April 8, a presentation by GLAAD about the transgendered community during "Spectrum," a day-long cultural diversity fair. April 29, GLAAD presents "Media 101," a day-long media skills training for 25 community organizations and in the evening a joint meeting with the San Diego Democratic Club to adopt The Marriage Resolution drafted by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. 42) From San Francisco... by Al Kielwasser The San Francisco Bay Area is a little safer today than it was last week. Radio host J. Paul Emerson is - for now - off the air. On February 15th, he was fired from KSFO's all-conservative, all-bigot "Hot Talk" line-up. For the last few weeks, Emerson has used his morning broadcasts to spew homophobic and racist hate. Arguing that HIV is transmitted casually, through coughing, Emerson called for the forced imprisonment of people with AIDS. He labeled gay men "sick butt humpers" and described Japanese Americans as "rotten and filthy." As for those who dared to disagree with his views, Emerson advocated - on air, and with all seriousness -- that they be shot rather than lynched. Rope, he explained, is actually more expensive than bullets. When San Francisco's first openly-gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, was shot and killed in 1978, various theories were brought forth in an attempt to answer the Big Question -- "Why?" Of course, Milk's murderer -- Dan White -- made his now infamous "Twinkie Defense." White wanted us to believe that, because he ate too much junk food, he became depressed and killed Harvey Milk. In fact, White was a homophobic bigot and Milk's murder was a hate crime. Hate speech is certainly no crime. Unfortu nately, its effects often are. KSFO's management has remained silent on the matter of Emerson's firing, though they vocally defended him while he was on staff and on the air. It appears, in fact, that Emerson was fired because he turned his vitriol against his own business, criticizing sister station KGO (owned by ABC/Capital Cities, which also owns KSFO). When Emerson called lesbians and gays "butt heads," that was just fine with KSFO. But, when he called his boss a "butt head," Emerson got the ax. So much for professional ethics in broadcasting. Clearly, KSFO's current format will continue to be a breeding ground for homophobia; the station's corporate culture is a bigots' sand box. Even in the wake of Emerson's departure, it is important that lesbians and gays keep listening and, most importantly, keep talking back to hate talk radio. Send feedback to: Mickey Luckoff, General Manager, KGO/KSFO, 900 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111; fax (415) 391-2795; Ro bert Iger, President and CEO, ABC/Capital Cities, Inc., 77 W. 66th Street, New York 10021, fax (212) 456-1419; e-mail abcaudr@ccabc.com. Quotable Quotes... From Jack Swanson, operations director at KSFO, on the controversy involving Emerson, "[In 1980, we aired] the first gay talk show on any commercial station in the country and we were flooded with gay callers saying, 'Thank God, you're there -- I felt so alone until I heard your show.' That's the same kind of need we're meeting now. This is a community where essentially everything has been OK up until now except being a conservative. We're letting the last group out of the closet." From Conservative talk-show host Michael Savage of KSFO in San Francisco, after another host on the station was fired for on-air comments, "I think it's censorship to give into any terrorist group, which I think GLAAD is. They don't believe in free speech." GLAAD Committees 43) Op Ed Project... The Op Ed (Opposite Editorial) pages are traditionally read by the movers and shakers /opinion makers in each city. Newspapers on the coasts such as the Los Angeles Times have been publishing Op Ed pieces addressing gay and lesbian themes, and inviting local journalists to write these columns. The Op Ed project was conceived as a pro-active means to bring a gay voice to the Op Ed pages of mid-size newspapers across the country. Under the auspices of GLAAD, a group of writers and journalists have assembled a target list of about 70 newspapers. Possible topics will include: Gays in St. Patrick's Day parades, Gays in the military, Jesse Helm's anti-gay initiatives and same-sex marriages and domestic unions. GLAAD will be credited in the bylines of all Op Ed pieces published. A file of copies of all completed columns will be created at the GLAAD office, constituting a source archive of written commentary on current topics and ongoing lesbian/gay issues. The first article is scheduled for the second week in Marc h. 44) MediaWatch... The GLAAD MediaWatch appears each week in New York on Gay Cable Networks news program Gay USA. This 3 minute segment is designed to give viewers weekly news and information about how lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are being represented in the media, and urge them to respond. The segment is delivered by eight diverse hosts on an eight-week rotation. New hosts are always welcome to audition. Send headshots and resumes to: GLAAD, 150 West 26th Street, Suite #503, New York 10001. GLAAD would eventually like to syndicate the spot to gay and lesbian cable shows nationwide. Please send enquiries to the above address or call (212) 807-1700. Wally Smith, chair of the Los Angeles MediaWatch Committee, and his counterpart, New York's Rich Mayora, (Jay deDapper, co-chair) are busy working at ground zero: monitoring the media. The two committees have started a dialogue noting that their meetings alternate: New York on 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, Los Angeles on 1s t & 3rd Thursdays. Agendas and minutes are being faxed to each other and, thereby, each can participate in the other's meetings. 45) Community Outreach... In Los Angeles, the Community Outreach Committee (COC) wants you to get involved and participate in their activities. And to get a taste of that involvement, the COC is hosting an open house. It will be held at the GLAAD offices in Los Angeles - 8455 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 305 - on May 3rd at 7:00 pm. (The meeting will begin at 8:00pm.) COC is responsible for extending GLAAD's message outside the lesbian, gay and bisexual community as well as educating and motivating involvement within the community. Projects include Speechmasters, an ongoing public speaking training and practice seminar, and the development of visibility and awareness campaigns, such as our successful lesbian billboard campaign with GLAAD/ San Francisco Bay Area in 1993 and last year's "We Are Who You Are" bus bench campaign. It is also respons ible for planning exciting and provocative community forums and GLAAD information nights. 46) Membership... The New York Membership Committee presents the GLAAD "Psychic Singles" event co-sponsored by The Advocate magazine on Sunday, May 7th at The Flamingo East located at 219 2nd Ave. in New York City. For more information about either event, please call Cathay Che at (212) 807-1700. 47) Attention: GLAAD Committees Charles Zweig uploads items to the GLAAD BBS that are useful to GLAAD's committees. If you are issue oriented, you might find this collection is just what you've wanted. And it's free. Set your modem for (213) 658-6516. 48) GLAAD Volunteer Profiles David Bockhoff... David is the man in the GLAAD Los Angeles office who you'll always find with a warm smile on his face. He has given his skills to the office for the past year in a variety of capacities. It doesn't matter what project the office hands him he accomplishes it with efficiency and enth usiasm. In a busy office with five staff people and a number of other volunteers his gracious manner and unselfish demeanor are refreshing and deeply appreciated. He also makes time to assist us with many of our fundraisers such as "GLAAD Laughs" and the screening of "Serving in Silence." In his spare time, David uses some of his other talents such as, acting in community theatre productions, and get this - he loves to fly, so on weekends he flys friends and strangers in a mini airplane to places like Catalina Island and the beautiful county of San Diego. 49) Fred Cox... Fred was approached by a GLAAD volunteer at Gay Pride in New York in 1993 to sign-up for the GLAAD MediaGram program. He thought it was a good idea and did. Subsequently, he started receiving GLAAD mailings and decided to become an active volunteer. "Before I was gay-bashed twice, I actually felt I wasn't discriminated against as a gay man. After that, my perspective changed." Originally from Can ada, Fred is a professional architect and an amateur drag queen. As part of the GLAAD Membership Committee, Fred has been instrumental in coordinating several membership outreach events including GLAAD's Fire Island Drag Volleyball Tournament and Pines Unplugged folk music concert, GLAAD's preview screenings of Comedy Central's "Out There I & II," and GLAAD's Mr. Gay Underwear Contest with HX Magazine. "When I came to GLAAD I immediately felt this was a place I could contribute. I find that it's an incredibly constructive outlet for my anger." Fred is currently working on the Membership Committee's "Psychic Singles" event co-sponsored by The Advocate magazine. The event will feature on-site psychics, tarot card readers and therapists to advise singles (and prospective couples) on the pitfalls of relationships. The event will be held on Sunday, May 7 at The Flamingo East. 50) Joyce Marquez... Joyce is a mother, grandmother, a 17 year government employee and community activist. Not only was Joyce a former Board Member of the Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, she also served on the Steering Committee of Lesbianas Unidas. Joyce's interest was sparked during the formation of GLAADÕs People of Color committee last April. Since then she has enthralled herself in numerous events from assisting with the production of GLAAD's first Club Cross Culture, to outreaching at Christopher Street West and Sunset Junction, monitoring Spanish radio for the MediaWatch committee and assisting at the Silent Auction during the Media Awards. Joyce is currently working with other members of the People of Color committee on the production of a forum relating to media images of lesbian, gays, and bisexual people of color. During her spare time she enjoys surfing the Internet on her computer and working as a photographer at various community events. Mirav Ozeri... Mirav started the New York chapter of LIFT (Lesbians In Film and Television) in May of 1993, aft er attending a LIFT meeting in Los Angeles. "I walked into a room of over 200 gorgeous women - all in the industry - and I thought, we must start this in New York!" The LA LIFT organizer put Mirav in touch with another New Yorker that wanted LIFT in the big apple - publishing maven, Charlotte Sheedy (recently profiled in The Advocate magazine). "The first meeting was totally word of mouth. Charlotte and I just invited our friends. I started gathering a mailing list and producing a newsletter two or three months later." LIFT/NY's mailing list now includes the names of 200 lesbians who work in every aspect of the industry, from Soap Opera to Talk show producers, from make-up artists to sound technicians. In January, LIFT/NY officially merged with The GLAAD Women's Caucus to provide strength in numbers and support for the goals of both groups. Now LIFT/Women's Caucus meetings happen bi-monthly, along with specially scheduled events. "LIFT/WC offers a unique opportun ity to get down to business. It's very grassroots - not just flirting and schmoozing - women really want to help each other. A few careers have changed as a result of new contacts and new projects have been born." Mirav Ozeri is an independent producer/director. Her company, Oz Films Inc., just finished producing the teleplay "Lady" for PBS. The next LIFT/WC meeting is Wednesday, May 10th at 7pm at The Poet's House, 73 Spring Street. This meeting will include a presentation on copyright laws and legal issues. 52) GLAAD Board Member, Newsletter Editor Honored Carl Matthes and his lover of 28 years, Carl Johnson, were honored for their "community and AIDS activism" by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest AIDS service organization in the country. In a program at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in Los Angeles, hosted by PBS program host Huell Howser, the February 25 program included Rich Jennings, Executive Director of Hollywood Supports and a founder of G LAAD/LA, reading a letter from Will Halm, Co-Chair of GLAAD, documenting the Carls' long support of GLAAD. In addition, Ella Matthes, publisher of the Lesbian News and Carl's sister, spoke about her brother and "brother out-law." Matthes and Johnson are GLAAD major donors. Matthes is a national board member, heads the national Publications Sub-Committee, and has been editor of GLAAD Reports for the last 3 1/2 years. Side Bars 53) New York City Comes to Life with... "The Night of 1,000 Legends" The first ever GLAAD event to outreach to and celebrate the contributions of the transgender and drag communities will take place on Thursday, April 13th, from 9pm to midnight at Club 58, located at 40 East 58th St. in New York City. The event is called "The Night of 1000 Legends" and will feature the talents of Wigstock's Lady Bunny, Drag Kings Diane Torr and Shelly Mars, Quentin Crisp and The Imperial Queens, and many other exciting legends. 54) NACYSO In an effort t o proactively organize for the upcoming Congressional hearings, the National Advocacy Coalition on Youth and Sexual orientation (NACYSO) is collecting stories from young people across the country. Request a "Youth Experience Form" from: Rea Carey, NACYSO, 1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005; fax (202) 347-2263. Keeping an Eye on Publications 55) The Feb.'95 issue of Vanity Fair includes an exceptional 14-page article, "The Killing Trail;" Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist H.G. Bissinger details the horrors of homophobia in Texas. Comments to: Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Publications, Inc., 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017, e-mail vfair@aol.com... 56) The Feb. '95 issue of Good Housekeeping offers some good advice in a "My Problem" feature; a woman whose son is gay -- and afraid to come out to his father -- is directed to PFLAG. Comments to: Good Housekeeping, 959 Eighth Ave., New York 10019... 56) The first issue of CTN, a new magazine for deaf, h ard-of-hearing and hearing-signing lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. CTN is published quarterly by an all-volunteer staff. Contact: CTN Magazine, P.O. Box 14431, San Francisco, CA 94114, fax 415-626-9033, e-mail ctn mag@aol.com... A call for submissions has been issued for two new anthologies, Lesbians Raising Sons and Co-Parenting. Send fiction, essays and first person accounts to: Jess Wells, 584 Castro Street, #224, San Francisco, CA 94114. Rush Frothing Sure was nice to see Rush froth and spit on his Feb. 23 show about how unfair it was that GLAAD got Snapple to stop sponsoring him. We get letters and copies of letters: "Dear Mr. Scott: Since you've written to Snapple Beverage Corp. requesting that Snapple not advertise on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," we wanted to make you aware of a recent advertising decision. "In response to your complaint, we would like to take this opportunity to inform you that as of Jan. 1, 1995, Snapple is no longer advertising on "The Rush Limbaugh Show"... Sincerely, Jeanette Gizze Consumer Affairs Representative And... Steve Klein Media Director KERSHENBAUM AND BOND 145 Avenue of the Americas New York 10002 Dear Mr. Klein: "I was delighted to hear that Quaker Oates, the parent company of the Snapple Beverage Company, had recently decided to withdraw sponsorship of "The Rush Limbaugh Show." "I and many of my friends have spent a long, dry summer drinking other inferior products...we've been thirsty for Snapple and are relieved to know we can (have) our favorite drinks with a clear conscience." Very truly yours, Kenneth T. Smeton 58) Make it Twice as Much Many GLAAD members are able to include GLAAD as recipients in their employee sponsored matching gift programs. Some of the businesses that are currently named for matching gifts to GLA AD are: Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., Chemical Bank, Microsoft Corporation, Chase Manhattan Corp., Citibank, Pfizer, Inc., J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc., American Express and New York Telephone. If your employer has a matching gift program, please consider including them in your support of GLAAD. If you would like to speak to someone at GLAAD about matching gifts please call Morgan Gwenwald at the New York Office: (212) 807-1700. "Workplace Sexual Orientation" GLAAD and Hollywood Supports report that over two dozen, highly trained, volunteer facilitators are available to present the 90-minute seminar "Workplace Sexual Orientation" at your workplace. For more information, to make suggestions on whom to contact at your workplace regarding the seminar, or to schedule a seminar, contact: GLAAD at (213) 658-6775 or Hollywood Supports Assistant Director Tamra King at (213) 655-7705. New York Headquarters List of Volunteer Committees & Descriptions GLAAD V olunteer Opportunities...For more information about any of the below, please call Cathay Che at the GLAAD New York office at (212) 807-1700. MediaWatch Committee Every week GLAAD gets dozens of complaints about the way lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are represented on TV and radio, in film, advertising, popular music and print media. Help field these reports, monitor media outlets, plan response campaigns and take action! Committee meets bi-weekly, Tuesdays at 6:30pm. Membership Committee GLAAD depends on our members to support the important work we do to educate the media about gay, lesbian and bisexuals lives. Help GLAAD outreach for new members and provide activities for the existing membership through special events planning (preview movie screenings, parties, issue-oriented forums, merchandising, tabling at community events, etc.), and make GLAADs work more visible! Committee meets bi-weekly Tuesdays at 6:30pm. The Womens Caucus/LIFT (Lesbians In Film & Television) The Womens Caucus is an umbrella group for all the women - board, staff and volunteers involved with GLAAD. Our recent merger with LIFT (Lesbians In Film & Video) will provide further social and networking opportunities for all lesbians who work in or have a strong interest in the media. The Caucus will sponsor events and forums that will occur on the alternate months from the regular bi-monthly meetings, the second Wednesday of every other month at 7pm, The Poets House, 73 Spring Street. The Media Awards Each year over 100 dedicated volunteers GLAAD supporters work to bring together the event of the season -- GLAAD's Media Awards, which honor the best media representations of gay, lesbian and bisexual lives. Work on one of the Media Award sub-committees or volunteer for the night of the event. Lesbian Central GLAAD is proud to sponsor one of the only all-lesbian cable TV talkshows in the nation - Lesbian Central. LC airs the 2nd Sunday at 11:30am and the 4th Tuesda y at 10:00pm of each month on Manhattan Cable channel 34. LC is also an excellent training ground for lesbians interested in video and TV production. Lesbians with all levels of experience are welcome. Speakers Bureau The GLAAD Speakers Bureau trains and provides speakers for GLAAD's regular orientations, community groups, public forums, colleges and High Schools. The speakers address GLAAD's work and media defamation as it relates to larger issues of homophobia. People with some public speaking or speech writing experience are welcome. The group meets the Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm. Office Work The center of GLAAD's work is our busy office, centrally located in Chelsea. Office volunteers are needed to help with the phones, filing, mailings and data entry. Office volunteers are welcome anytime during our regular office hours (10am to 6pm weekdays) or Thursdays from 5:30 to 8pm. Orientations Still feel like you don't know enough about GLAAD or want to h ear about our latest projects? Come to our monthly Orientations, the first Wednesday of the month at 8pm at The Center, 208 West 13th Street. The GLAAD Phonetree GLAAD has moved into the '90s, replacing our old PhoneTree systems with a PhoneTree machine, and its the easiest way to make sure you get the latest media news. All you have to do is call the GLAAD office at (212) 807-1700 and well put you on the Phonetree to receive our bi-monthly messages. GLAAD Los Angeles Headquarters Committee Descriptions Community Outreach This committee is responsible for extending GLAAD's message outside the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. Projects include Speechmasters, an ongoing public speaking training and practice seminar and and the development of visibility and awareness campaigns, such as our successful lesbian billboard campaign with GLAAD San Francisco in 1993 and last year's "We Are Who You Are" bus bench campaign. It is also responsible for planning community forums a nd GLAAD information nights. Co-Chairs: Jody Hoenninger and Bruce Tucker Media Outreach This committee works to educate people in the media about the importance of sexual orientation issues and about GLAAD's mission. Projects include meeting with industry professionals, advising on projects in progress and reviewing scripts. Co-Chairs: Sandy Bodner and Jim Thomas MediaWatch This committee monitors the media - television, film, radio, and print. Members respond to media representations of our lives and are responsible for activations. Members are also needed to conduct research, draft letters and produce articles for our monthly GLAAD newsletter. Chair: Wally Smith Op Ed Page Project Do you like to write about gay and lesbian issues? Then you can help with GLAAD's Op Ed Page Project. The focus of the project is to write opinion pieces about gay and lesbian topics in the news. These pieces will then be sent to about 70 newspapers around the country for use on O p Ed pages. According to John Kroll, director of the project, responses have been received from across the country and all inquiries are welcomed. You may reach John at (818) 990-7759. People of Color This committee is responsible for increasing visibility of lesbian, gay and bisexual people of color in the media and in GLAAD. Members produce forums to promote awareness of these communities as well as outreaching and creating coalitions with other lesbian, gay and bisexual organizations representing people of color. Co-Founders: Nancy Perez and Shawn Griffin Women of GLAAD This committee meets monthly to encourage lesbian and bisexual women's participation on the GLAAD council and committees and to ensure that GLAAD continues advocating lesbian visibility in all areas of the media. Chair: Myra Riddell, (213) 851-8863, or the GLAAD office at (213) 658-6775. GLAAD Wants Your Letter The need for continual gay and lesbian reaction to the events that are shaping our l ives and our future is very important; this is one of our most effective tools. When you send a letter responding to a g/l issue, send a copy to us for our files. We would also like to have a copy of any response you receive. Send to: New York Headquarters, 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503, New York 10001; (212) 807-1700; fax (212) 807-1806; or Los Angeles Headquarters, 8455 Beverly Blvd, #305, Los Angeles 90048; (213) 658-6775; fax (213) 658-6776. "Hot Tips" Welcomed GLAAD needs advance information on films, TV programs and commercials with lesbian/gay themes or characters. The Media Outreach Committee would like to know of any projects in any stages of production or release. (Development stage may be premature.) Call, fax or write to us in New York at: 150 W. 26th St., New York 10001 Phone: (212) 807-1700 fax (212) 807-1806 In Los Angeles: 8455 Beverly Blvd., #305, Los Angeles 90048 Phone: (213) 658-6775 Hotline - (213) U R GLAAD fax - (213) 658-6776 When you contact us, please include the following information: producing company or studio; names of the producers or directors; synopsis; start or release date; any relevant material. All information will be kept confidential. GLAAD How to Find Us GLAAD is located at 8455 Beverly Blvd, #305, Los Angeles, CA 90048; and in New York at 150 W. 26th Street, 10001. In New York find us between 6th and 7th Avenue in the heart of gay Chelsea. And in Los Angeles, this is just east of La Cienega on the north side of Beverly; parking is on the street. Your Chance to Get Involved: A GLAAD Volunteer Archives: Volunteers are needed to enter data on our computers for our video archives. Please contact the GLAAD Los Angeles headquarters at (213) 658-6775 and leave a message for Sylvia Rhue. In New York contact: Morgan Gwenwald at (212) 807-1700. GLAAD Reference File: G LAAD is continually updating its reference file of clippings and articles so that the actual statements of anyone who is practicing defamation, or voicing support for our human rights, can be easily documented. Can you, or someone you know, start watching and clipping the Orange County Register, L.A. Weekly, L.A. Reader, La Opinion, or the Daily News; and in New York the Observer and El Diario? In addition, if you read something in a magazine, periodical, newsletter, etc., that relates to gay and lesbian issues, clip and send it to: New York: 150 W. 26th St., New York 10001; (212) 807-1700; fax (212) 807-1806. In Los Angeles: 8455 Beverly Blvd, #305, Los Angeles, CA 90048; FAX (213) 658-6776; or call the hotline, (213) U R GLAAD, and report it. Office Help: GLAAD is seeking sharp, reliable, enthusiastic and motivated individuals to volunteer in our friendly, relaxed and very busy offices. There is a vast array of general office duties which provide information releva nt to monitoring the media. The work done by GLAAD is only possible because of the volunteer spirit within the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. We encourage you to contact either GLAAD office at (213) 658-6775 or (212) 807-1700, if you have time to volunteer.