Date: Sun, May 14, 1995 5:02 PM From: "Charles Zweig" JUNE 1995 GLAAD REPORTS INDEX 1) PBS "Coming Out Under fire" 2) David Huebner, GLAAD's National Chairman 3) "Day of Compassion III" programming understanding of AIDS/HIV 4) GLAAD's Weekly Cable TV Spot 5) McNeil-Lehrer 6) Upcoming Films "Birds of a Feather" (La Cage Aux Folles) "Butterfly Kiss" "The Celluloid Closet" "Fresh Kill" "Jeffrey" "Love and Human Remains" "To Die for" Ian McKellen "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" 7) "Babylon 5" 8) Rikki Lake 9) "60 Minutes" 10) "Melrose Place" 11) Bob Smith "Growing up Gay" 12) Vanity Fair 13) The New Yorker, Dorothy Dean 14) Print Watch NY Times LA Times 15) Don't Ask Don't Tell 16) Scott Amedure 17) Peter, Paul & Mary 18) Advertising The Sports Authority in "The Charlotte Observer" Gold Bond Medical Powder Wendy's Restaurants supports Pat Robertson 19) Mon 20) Electronic Communication 21 ) Letters KCKC San Bernardino AFA "Promotes" Gay/Lesbian Programming 22) News Hawaii Project 21 GLAAD in the News 23) The GLAAD Offices Portland Chicago Kansas City Los Angeles (CSW) National Capitol Area New York San Diego San Francisco Bay Area (JROTC) 24) PBS Programming in LA 25) Shawn Griffin 26) Vernon Mitchell Trust 27) Sharon Bottoms 28) Committee on Hate/Violence 29) Hotlines and Monitoring 30) Media Resources for Media Watchers "Extra" "Z Magazine" Regenerative Books (reparative) "Scientific American" "Flying High" ASNE Ameircan Society of Newspaper Editors Arab Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Network Peripheral Vision L&G Film Festival, LA, July 6-16 KIEV Burbank 31) Matching gifts 32) Sexual Orientation in the Workplace 33) Committees - New York 34) Committees - Los Angeles 35) Hot Tips 36) Calendar - New York 37) Calendar - Los Angeles GLAAD Reports - June, 1995 Carl Matthes, Editor (213) 254-2726; fax (213) 257-5878 1) "Coming Out Under Fire" The Battle for Airtime June is Pride Month. And helping to celebrate this event for several years has been the telecasting of films about lesbians and gay men on local PBS stations. In past years, each PBS station would determine what and how much programming would be done to help celebrate Pride Month. However, 1995 promised to be different. Local stations could still program whatever they wanted, but PBS had in the works Arthur Dong's award-winning film "Coming Out Under Fire," a documentary about the service of gay men and lesbians during World War II. And, PBS had scheduled a "hard feed" for it, giving it an air date and time on its suggested national schedule. Each of the approximately 350 PBS affiliated stations could broadcast the film, this would allow all areas of the country to have the benefit of seeing this e xceptional documentary. But then something happened. According to Mr. Dong, in an interview with GLAAD Reports, the "hard feed" was replaced with a "soft feed" and the slotted air date was given to another program. (A program placed on "hard feed" becomes a part of the satellite fed PBS schedule. A programmer at any PBS affiliate must take the action of removing it from the feed. A program on "soft feed" is available as part of the programming package, but the programmer must take the action of placing it on the local station's schedule.) He was informed of this change rather matter-of-factly and it was done without consultation or notification. To make matters worse, PBS broke several of its standard procedures by bumping "Coming Out Under Fire" and replacing it with programming that had not yet been completed. In addition, PBS did this without explaining. There is no doubt that the conservative political climate had some impact. One of the reasons "Coming Out Under Fire" is so valuable is because it shows that the present "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is only the latest in a series of glaring civil rights injustices aimed at homosexuals in the military. That ruling enacted in 1993 is, in fact, based on a 50-year history of bigotry instituted by the armed services through persecution and ridicule of gays and lesbians. During World War II, a policy was established that labeled gays and lesbians as "mentally ill" and sought their removal from the service through dishonorable discharge. "Coming Out Under Fire," which received a 1995 GLAAD Media Award, uncovers the history of the U.S. military's procedures that sought to excise any member of the armed services suspected of being homosexual. Based on Alan Berube's book, this program presents the true stories of those who found themselves fighting two battles: one for their country and another for their right to serve. Listed on the next page are the air dates and times for "Coming Out U nder Fire" in some areas of the country. If your area is not listed, call your local PBS outlet and encourage them to pick up the "soft feed" and schedule it for viewing. If you see that your area is listed, use one of the enclosed postcards to commend your local PBS station for telecasting the documentary. Times listed below are as of May 15, 1995. Please check your local PBS television station listing for any changes. Information courtesy of: Independent Television Service, 190 Fifth St. East, #200, St. Paul, MN 55101; fax (612) 225-9102. (Estimated number of television households represented by these outlets: 46,002,949.) Location Station Date Time Market Rank Bethlehem, PA WLVT/Ch 39 June 25 11pm 4 Boston, MA WGBX/Ch 44 June 16 8pm 6 Buffalo, NY WNED/Ch 17 June 19 10pm 36 Chicago, IL WTTW/Ch 11 June 13 10pm 3 Dallas, TX KERA/Ch 13 June 20 8pm 8 Denver, CO KRMA/Ch 6 June 20 9pm 18 Detroit, MI WTVS/Ch 56 May 28 11pm 9 East Lansing, MI WKAR/Ch 23 June 20 10pm 106 Fargo, ND Prairie PTV n/a n/a 109 Harrisburg, PA WITF/Ch 33 June 28 10pm 44 Hartford, CT Connecticut PTVJune 19 10pm 26 Kansas City, MO KCPT/Ch 19 June 16 10:30pm 31 Kent, OH WNEO/WEAO June 10 Midnight 13 Lincoln, NE Nebraska ETV Network June 30 9pm 101 Los Angeles, CA KCET/Ch 28 June 28 8pm 2 Madison, WI Wisconsin PTV June 23 11pm 85 Miami, FL WPBT/Ch 2 June 2 11:30pm 16 New York, NY WNET/Ch 13 June 20 9pm 1 Owing Mills, MD Maryland PTV June 21 11pm 23 Philadelphia, PA WHYY/Ch 12 June 28 10pm 4 Reno, NV KNPB/Ch 5 June 20 9pm 121 Salt Lake City, UT KUED/Ch 7 June 12 11:30pm 37 San Diego, CA KPBS/Ch 15 June 13 10pm 27 San Francisco, CA KQED/Ch 9 June 28 7:30pm 5 Seattle, WA KCTS/Ch 9 June 20 10pm 12 Springfield, MA WGBY/Ch 57 June 10 11:05pm 99 St. Louis, MO KETC/Ch 9 June 25 10:30pm 20 St. Paul, MN KTCA/Ch 2 June 4 10:30pm 14 Tempe, AZ KAET/Ch 8 June 28 11pm 19 Washington, DC WETA/Ch 26 June 20 9pm 7 Your chance to help... Here's is your chance to begin monitoring for GLAAD. Check the reaction in your area - radio, newspapers, television - to the showing of "Coming Out Under Fire." Write a report with all relevant information, and send it with any clippings, etc., to: GLAAD Reports, 8455 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles 90048. 2) The Treasurer's View by David Huebner You are a pioneer. By supporting GLAAD, you have committed your time, talent and/or financial resources to opening new lines of thought, engaging old problems in novel ways, and pulling down fences and facades, both real and imagined. You are wrestling with obstacles that others say should daunt you, and your spirit and energies are directed outward rather than inward. Regardless of the length or depth of your involvement, you are an essential part of GLAAD's success. In fact, you are GLAAD, and you are to be commended for your commitment and courage. GLAAD has always been an organization of pioneers in the best sense of that American tradition. Ten years ago a group of pioneers reframed an old problem in a new way, and pooled their time, talent and money to start a constructive (and effective) dialogue with the traditional media about its failure to discuss or portray gay men and lesbians fairly, accurately and inclusively. Shortly thereafter, another group of pioneers expanded the dialogue and focused their time, talent and money on engaging the creators and purveyors of entertainment programming which increasingly defines, and confines, America's image of itself. Since then, other pioneers have opened additional frontiers by broadening definitions of media and constructively engaging the media in new local, regional and national markets across the country. Now, several months into the GLAAD/New York and GLAAD/Los Angeles merger, GLAAD continues to chart course across new and difficult territory. Two different sets of experiences, priorities and organizational cultures are being reconciled and combined. A balance is being explored that fully mobilizes, stimulates and honors the efforts, talents and opinions of GLAAD's volunteer base - the heart and soul of the organization - but that fully exploits the experience, focus and continuity of professional staff. A blueprint is being developed for expanding GLAAD's presence and effectuating its missions in the vast territory beyond the few relatively friendly communities in which GLAAD now has offices. Overall, GLAAD is wrestling with developing an operational model that preserves GLAAD 's focus nationally without stifling local initiative, creativity and enthusiasm. These are all significant challenges. They are also huge opportunities because they open all aspects of GLAAD to reevaluation, reconsideration and redirection. Part of this dynamic is recognizing and fine-tuning the interplay between (1) developing vision and a mission, and (2) building the infrastructure necessary to effectuate that mission and sustain that vision. Both pieces are essential to the whole. Pursuing the first piece without the second will produce occasional sparks but no sustained light or heat. Dilettantism equals failure. Advocates must have modems, databases and fax trees as well as convictions. As GLAAD's treasurer, I can most readily address the second factor above, and I am happy to report that infrastructure efforts are proceeding surprisingly well. In a few short months, GLAAD has completely reconfigured its financial systems and controls, established national accou nts, centralized payroll and accounting functions, crafted a single budget to guide the new organization through 1995, established a unitary system for recording and tracking every penny raised or spent by the organization, begun to upgrade computer hardware and software in the national offices and the field, and developed a plan to link the national offices, the chapters and other GLAAD outlets together into one computer network. As clearly evident in the pages of this newsletter each month, GLAAD is also fully emersed in the invigorating process of evaluating its mission and creating a truly national vision. There have been and must be debates about what it means to be "national" and how to adapt an essentially metropolitan model to meet rural, town and small-city challenges. There have been and must be debates about how to keep apace of the diffuse new media emerging around us, including talk radio, deregulated and interactive cable, nontraditional print, computer foru ms and fax networks. There have been and must be debates about what really constitutes "fair, accurate and inclusive," and about what merely constitutes counterproductive grievance-mongering. There must be debates about moving beyond indulgent demonizing or stereotyping of opponents, and toward identifying and cultivating common ground, however limited it may be at first, with diverse political, religious and social groups not currently on GLAAD's radar screen. A lot has been accomplished. Far more remains to be accomplished. The process of building an effective national organization is not, and should not be, easy. From the rough-and-tumble of broad-based, bruising debate come strength, perspective, focus and, ultimately, success. That is why it is essential that you join the debate. Call, write or e-mail national Board members or newsletter staff with your thoughts, ideas, concerns or critiques. Join a committee. Stop by an office. Monitor a favorite publication o r program. Recruit a new member. Donate a million dollars. Whatever. Just keep your pioneer spirit involved and engaged, and enjoy the adventure. Film and Television 3) "Day of Compassion III" June 21, 1995, will mark the third annual "Day of Compassion," as daytime dramas, talk shows and news programs make a collaborative effort to role model compassion and promote understanding about AIDS/HIV. For more information, contact: GLAAD/National Field Office, 1130 SW Morrison, Suite 607, Portland, OR 97205; tel. 503-224-5285; fax 503-224-5480; e-mail drredwing@aol.com. 4) TV Writers & On-Air Talent Wanted GLAAD is seeking TV writers and on-air talent to work on our weekly cable TV spot "The GLAAD MediaWatch." This 3-minute segment is produced in New York and airs in the tri-state area and in parts of the Southwest on gay cable programs. Please call Cathay Che in the GLAAD New York office at (212) 807-1700. Talent is requested to send headshot and resume to: Cathay Ch e, GLAAD, 150 W. 26 St., New York 10001. 5) Bad News on MacNeil/Lehrer By Steven Frankel During more than a year of monitoring "The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour," the daily in-depth news show broadcast by PBS, we have found that its coverage of gay and lesbian issues has been profoundly disappointing. Over the last year, MacNeil/Lehrer aired only two features on gays and lesbians (on the political battle over equal rights in the Pacific Northwest, and on the 25th anniversary of Stonewall) and two news items (a court decision affecting gays in Boston's St. Patrick's Day march, and a Virginia lesbian mother's custody case). None of last year's many court decisions regarding gay and lesbian military personnel whose lives and careers have been derailed by the new "don't ask, don't tell" policies have been reported. There has been no follow-up on the targeting of gay and lesbian Americans by the so-called Christian right and its alliances with conservative Republicans and other groups (except for a brief reference in a story on Oliver North's Senate race in Virginia). And in many features or news items where some discussion of gays and lesbians would have been appropriate, there was little or, more often, none. This was especially apparent in Charlene Hunter-Gault's multi-part series on "America's Values," in which she never interviewed a single person who might articulate the gay and lesbian issues involved, and of those who she did interview, only one even mentioned gays and lesbians; she herself never asked any of them a single question relating to gays and lesbians, even though that aspect of the subject became a pivotal issue at the National Republican Convention in 1992. MacNeil/Lehrer also presents many stories that ought to include gays and lesbians in its coverage, along with heterosexuals, but it doesn't occur to the producer or reporter, though it should: a Seattle report on harassment in the work force; Roger Rosenblatt's Father's Day story, which could have included gay dads; the problem of spouse abuse; and so on. The pattern is clear; the coverage has been neither fair nor inclusive. "The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour" - despite MacNeil's defensive claim at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Conference in September 1993 that the program includes substantial coverage of gays and lesbians - has not lived up to its responsibility on these issues. We sent both MacNeil and Lehrer a letter detailing these inadequacies and omissions, and received the following replies: Lehrer wrote, "Thank you for your letter. I hear you." MacNeil wrote, "Thank you for writing, and, because you did, I'll turn a more alert eye to our coverage. But we do not feel in any area of the news that we "owe" this or that segment of society a certain percent of coverage. We cover stories as we see them and I'm sorry you don't feel it's enough but, then, so do lots of other groups. Anyway, thanks for sharing your views ." Lehrer's response deserves encouragement, and MacNeil's fixation on percentages reveals that he still doesn't get it. Fellow GLAAD members, send your comments and complaints to: Jim Lehrer, Exec. Prod., MacNeil/Lehrer, WETA-TV, P.O. Box 2626, Wash. D.C.20013-2626; Robert MacNeil, Exec. Prod., MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, 1775 Broadway, NY 10019. (Editor's Note: At the 1995 GLAAD Media Awards in New York City this year, presenter Robert MacNeil mentioned having himself become a target of GLAAD. Mr. MacNeil was referring to the exhaustive monitoring and response project of GLAAD volunteer Steven Frankel, which tracked "The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour's" coverage of lesbian and gay issues. The show has changed format, but Mr. MacNeil and Mr. Lehrer continue to be widely-quoted pundits who need to hear from us about the recent approach to our concern.) 6) Be on the Lookout For... "Birds of a Feather" (United Artists) Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are in a remake of "La Cage Aux Folles" (Originally a French play about a gay couple who have to hide their relationship when one of their sons comes home to get married). Status: Summer '95 release. "Butterfly Kiss" (Independent) Amanda Plummer stars in this movie with an eclectic story that includes a lesbian love affair. Status: Played at the recent Berlin Film Festival. "The Celluloid Closet" (Britian's Channel 4 and HBO) The same production company, Telling Pictures, that gave us "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt," is producing this documentary based on GLAAD founder Vito Russo's highly acclaimed book. Status: In production. "Fresh Kill" (Independent) A hip eco-mystery starring Sarita Choudhury of "Mississippi Masala." Debuted at the Berlin Film Festival. Status: General release pending. "Jeffrey" (Orion Pictures) Sigourney Weaver, Patrick Stewart and Stephen Weber star in this stage-to-movie AIDS/gay comedy by Paul Rudnick. Film has wrapped. Status: Soon to be released. "Love and Human Remains" (Sony Classics) Based on an urban- gothic relationship, comedy-thriller play, which had successful runs off-Broadway. Status: Release set for Spring '95. "To Die For" (First Run Features) After his lover dies of AIDS, a young man is haunted by his lover's ghost until he can come to terms with his grief. Stars Sir Ian McKellen. Status: General release pending, has played Los Angeles g/l Film Festival. "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (Amblin Entertainment) Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo are set as the leads in this comedy road picture about drag queens. Status: Release Fall '95. 7) Move Over "Star Trek," "Babylon 5" is Here The late Gene Roddenberry, creator of the "Star Trek" media empire, once vowed to include lesbians and gays in the cast of characters who inhabit his science fiction universe. Unfortunately, that promise has yet to be kept. However, it now seems that another television show - "Babylon 5" - will be the first to go where no science fiction series has gone before. The show's producers have announced plans for queer inclusion. Some time ago, J. Michael Straczynski, the creator/producer of "Babylon 5," made this observation: "We have no intention of avoiding the gay question. We will not, however, do a 'gay story,' which is usually described by those friends and acquaintances of mine in derogatory terms...a la 'fags are people too.' The sense I get is that they resent the hell out of that kind of patronizing approach. The one suggestion that comes most often is, 'Why not simply introduce a character, we get to know that character over the run of a season, and at some point discover, practically in passing, that this person is bi or gay...' And that's what we're going to do." Reportedly, the telepathic Talia Winters, a regular "Babylon 5" character, will be revealed as bisexual. Ardent series fans suspect that Winters will have an "intimate relationship" with th e character of Susan Ivanova, an officer aboard the Babylon 5 space station. Send your comments to: J. Michael Straczynski, Executive Producer, "Babylon 5," Babylonian Productions, 14431 Ventura Blvd., Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, e-mail straczynski@genie.geis.com. Copy your correspondence to: Dick Robertson, President, Warner Brothers Domestic Television Distribution, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522; fax 818-954-5820. 8) Rikki Lake "Get Over My Past Boyfriends..." The April 18 "Ricki Lake" posed the title question, "Get Over My Past Boyfriends, or Get Over Me." And, true to an evolving talk show format, various partners in current love relationships told their stories before Ricki's gasping, laughing and booing audience. The most fun, however, had to be the appearance of Shane, whose stories about his present love affair found great rapport and identification in the audience. Then, in walks Joseph, Shane's boyfriend. The audience was appropriately reactive . The two young attractive men told the universal story of love, passion and jealousy, ending their portion of the show with Joseph getting on bended knee and asking Shane to marry him. Joseph said "Yes," and they sealed the proposal with a kiss. A voice-over at the end of the show asked the television audience to call in over the subject of a proposed future show, "Have You Been Left Out Because You're Gay?" Comments to: Ricki Lake, 401 Fifth Ave., New York 10016. 9) Safe Sex on "60 Minutes" On April 19th, "60 Minutes" aired "The Second Wave," a segment examining rising HIV rates in the gay community. Hosted by Ed Bradley and produced by John Hamlin, the segment did not rely on any misinformed homophobes to provide "balance" in reporting on gay sexuality. Instead, the piece included a range of issues, drawn from a psychologist, an AIDS physician, a gay activist, and an AIDS educator. Collectively, this group provided Ed Bradley with a number of important perspecti ves on HIV and sexuality. The psychologist, for example, told Bradley how our society systematically under-values homosexuality; heterosexuals would never be asked to "just say no" to sex in the way that lesbians and gay men are expected to be abstinent. Unfortunately, the segment served as a forum for an AIDS reporter for The Village Voice, who made this emphatic claim: "The number one reason that gay men are having unsafe sex is because they're in love, and they want to have that kind of physical intimacy that people who are in love have." In addition, Bradley opened the segment by warning viewers: "The story you are about to see contains some explicit language in talking about gay sexuality. We thought it only fair to caution you before we begin." Yet, the segment never included anything more "explicit" than the phrase "anal sex." He also stated falsely that "unsafe sex is a subject few gay men have been willing to talk about." Send your comments to: Ed Bradley and John Hamlin, "60 Minutes," 555 West 57th Street, 9th Floor, New York 10019. 10) "Melrose Place" Revisited If you have been watching "Melrose Place," Matt Fielding, the resident gayman, is still getting shafted by the writers and producers. During late April and early May, Matt meets this great looking surgeon who seduces him, but we discover he is a married man and cheating on his wife with Matt. In another episode the surgeon seduces him again and tells his wife who then threatens to kill the little tramp (Matt) if he doesn't leave her man alone. Once again the writers and producers keep giving Matt dysfunctional love interests. One ray of hope: the doctor could turn out to be a late bloomer and just might do the right thing by Matt. Unlike all the other dysfunctional characters on the show at least they get to have their love interests bloom for several months before we find out that they are psychotic. Matt's loves don't even last a full episode anymore. To their credit, Matt is the only character who isn't certifiable. At least it is consistently clear that he is a good guy. He remains so only because he is the least visible of all the characters past and present. We need to keep reminding "Melrose Place" execs that Matt needs to be allowed to grow and breathe. Why must he be so isolated or paired with tragic boyfriends? Send feedback to Aaron Spelling, Darren Star, and E. Duke Vincent, Executive Producers, "Melrose Place," Spelling Enterprises, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036; Copy your comments to Chase Carey, President, Fox Broadcasting, P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, tel. 310-277-2211. e-mail foxnet@delphi.com. 11) Bob Smith: "From Left Out to Coming Out" Bob Smith, one of the first out gay comedians to appear on television, has just embarked on a nationwide book signing tour to promote his new book "Growing Up Gay: From Left Out to Coming Out." An appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is s cheduled for June 22. You may support Bob by writing: Jay Leno, NCB-TV, 3000 W. Alameda Blvd., Burbank, CA 91523. Radio and Print 12) Supermodels/Supermagazine The May '95 issue of Vanity Fair magazine features lesbian supermodel Rachel Williams, shown in a two-page lay-out with her girlfriend (and musician) Alice Temple. The happy couple are seen lounging together - as supermodels will - while the accompanying text quotes both women about their new-found relationship. The Vanity Fair spread offers a matter-of-fact picture of lesbian love, in an industry routinely dedicated to matters of fantasy. Hopefully, the visibility of these lesbians will encourage others to come out in the modeling, fashion and entertainment fields. Over the years, Vanity Fair has covered a number of lesbian, gay and bisexual subjects. Most notably, the magazine published a recent (Feb.'95), fourteen-page feature story about homophobic murders in Texas. Vanity Fair is also the magazine tha t dared to speak k.d. lang's "dream-date fantasy," by posing the lesbian singer with model Cindy Crawford in a now-infamous cover photo. Send encouraging feedback to: Graydon Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Vanity Fair, 350 Madison Avenue, New York; e-mail vfair@aol.com. 13) New Yorker and Dorothy Dean The April 24th issue of The New Yorker carries a tribute to the late Dorothy Dean, "a black woman who had been a galvanizing presence in gay New York for nearly twenty years." Hilton Als' essay memorializes both Dean and the "now vanished" (60's and 70's) era she symbolized. In seven detailed pages, the author renders a story that is, at turns, a biography, eulogy, and cultural history. Als' essay reveals a complex figure in Dorothy Dean, whose roles ranged from "the first black valedictorian in the history of White Plains High School" and "the first woman fact checker at 'The New Yorker'" to "a rumored accomplice in a celebrated kidnapping" and the "Queen of Camp." While the a uthor 's criticism is reserved, he still gives a forthright accounting of Dean's many unsavory traits. Among other things, for example, we learn that Dean promoted the acquisitive values of "the white elite" and "refused to take even a perfunctory interest in the politics of civil rights." She spent much of her adult life as a self-professed "fag hag," living in a world that was "small and closeted enough for her to control it." Ultimately, judgment of Dean's character must be reserved for the reader. But in publishing this article, The New Yorker has chronicled a unique moment in queer history. The significance of such coverage is enhanced by the history and status of the magazine itself; first printed in 1925, The New Yorker is one of the most successful metropolitan magazines ever published. Comments may be sent to: The New Yorker, 20 W. 43rd Street, New York 10036. 14) TimesWatch New York... The New York Times raised eyebrows by giving front-page, above the f old coverage to the issue of lesbians and gay men who marry. However, the questionable nature of Trip Gabriel's April 23 article, "When One Spouse Is Gay and the Marriage Unravels," was not the subject matter. It was the emphasis of the piece, which was not on lesbians and gay men, but on their hapless straight spouses. The article makes some good points. Straight women and men go through their own painful coming-out process after learning that their partners are gay. While there are a variety of organizations for husbands and wives who have come out, support for their straight spouses can be difficult to find. However, the piece fails to make the point strongly enough that while these broken marriages may traumatize the straight partner, it is the gay partner who literally becomes a second-class citizen. Suddenly, these lesbians and gay men find themselves with no federal protection from discrimination, no freedom to marry (a same-gender partner), and no guarantee of a ccess to children from the marriage. David Bucchiere, head of the support group Gay Fathers of Greater Boston, says in the article that he has not seen his daughter in over two years because his embittered wife has challenged his right to see her. However, legally sanctioned discrimination never becomes a major focus of the piece. Nor does the article so much as mention lesbian mother Sharon Bottoms who was fighting unsuccessfully in the Virginia Supreme Court for her right to continue to parent her son at the time it was published. The troubling implication of this piece is that what is most compelling about the situation of these lesbian and gay parents and spouses is not their pain, but the anger and confusion felt by their straight partners. We much preferred the approach of Barbara Delatiner in her April 23 article in the Long Island section of the Times, "Newsman Turns Novelist to Come Out as Father of a Gay Son." Although the focus is on Bernie Bookbinder, a father who has come out by writing a novel about an all-gay baseball team, Delatiner chronicles the effects of homophobia on both him and his son. The coming out of the elder Bookbinder clearly mirrors that of his son Ron, but in the deft hands of Delatiner, it never overwhelms or trivializes his son's experience. In fact, Delatiner widens the focus. What ultimately makes the a piece so extraordinary is that it isn't just another father-son "coming out" story at all. It's also about the "outing" of the sports establishment, which will be forced to address the issue of lesbian and gay athletes because Bookbinder has published this timely book. Los Angeles... Since the last TimesWatch it has been a very dry period for coverage of issues concerning lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered in the Los Angeles Times. The Calendar section of the April 23 edition featured choreographer Bill T. Jones on its cover. The striking full color picture easily called attention to t he cover's question, "Who's the Victim?," which was posed because of the national debate triggered by his new work, "Still/Here." "Still/Here" is about the gravely ill and has been labeled "victim art." Inside Calendar, Mr. Jones, in a far-ranging interview conducted by Jan Breslauer, was given the opportunity to help the public understand this new work which debuted in New York in November, 1994. In addition, Mr. Jones presented very interesting background on "Still/Here" and was able to put in perspective why there was such negative reactions from some. An excellent article. The Commentary page of the April 12 Metro Section carried a brief Op-Ed piece by Keith Meinhold, the recently reinstated Petty Officer who was discharged from the Navy for admitting he was gay. "Don't Ask..." was the title of his piece and in the short two columns, Officer Meinhold offered additional arguments for the ending of the present military policy towards its gay and lesbian enlistees. He t old of how this Spring he will be deployed to the Indian Ocean and expects to be involved in dangerous missions. He also lays to rest the false argument that his unit's cohesiveness has been shattered because he is openly gay. Encourage the Times to present more articles showing the involvement and contributions of gays and lesbians. Contact: Mr. Shelby Coffey III, Editor-in-Chief, Los Angeles Times, Times-Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. 15) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is back in the news again. Media interest has been heightened by a strongly worded court ruling against the policy, as well as a "surprise" announcement from Newt Gingrich. The Speaker of the House has announced that he will try to reinstate a total ban on lesbians and gays in the military. In a front-page article on the Gingrich plan ("Gingrich is Seeking to Restore Gay Ban in Military Services," April 3), The New York Times reported that the current policy "requires gay service members to keep their sexual orientations private." Reporter Katharine Seelye's phrasing is imprecise and misleading. It would have been more accurate to report that the current policy requires service members to keep their homosexuality "hidden" or "secret." The ban does not enforce privacy, but silence; the policy does not promote discretion, but encourages unhealthy deception and denial. Furthermore, many lesbian and gay people who are open and out are also "private" when it comes to the particulars of their individual sex lives. But even that "privacy" is illegal under current military regulations. Recently, Federal District Court Judge Eugene Nickerson declared the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy unconstitutional. In his eloquent ruling, he noted: "Hitler taught the world what could happen when the government began to target people not for what they had done, but because of their status." Nickerson's ruling was the subject of numerous articles and also p rompted a spate of editorials in the national press. The Philadelphia Daily News offered exuberant praise for the ruling. In an April 1 editorial ("In Our Opinion"), the newspaper declared: "Too bad for Newt Gingrich, the lover of all things Victorian and shameful. A federal judge has just removed the only genuine piece of Victorian sexual hypocrisy in government. U.S. District Judge Eugene Nickerson deserves a smart salute for dismissing this government-sanctioned perjury." The Miami Herald editorial ("Unsteady Step to Equality") generally supported lifting the current restrictions. But the newspaper took issue with the free speech focus of Judge Nickerson's ruling. According to the Herald: "The core principle 'that gays should be permitted to serve and should be left alone about their private lives' is sound. But the rationale for that conclusion should not be so sweeping or so fueled by emotion that it jeopardizes the military's essential discipline. Surely the mil itary, in pursuit of necessary conformity and cohesion, has more than the usual right to regulate all forms of comportment while on duty including speech. Would the judge advocate letting enlisted personnel say whatever they wish?" The newspaper's editors also argued that: "Unfortunately, (Nickerson) compared the policy to Hitler's Final Solution, a bit of melodramatic hyperbole that undermined his argument. Nobody, after all, ever suggested that gays in the military be gassed. Rhetorical comparisons to Hitler and the Holocaust are preposterous." Send your comments to: Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York Times, 229 W. 43rd Street, New York 10036; fax (212) 556-3690. Letters to the Editor, Philadelphia Daily News, 400 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19101. Letters to the Editor, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, e-mail heralded@aol.com. 16) Follow-Up to a Murder The Associated Press (AP) has offered a relatively encouraging follow-up to its reporting on the murder of a gay man who appeared on the "Jenny Jones" talk show. As part of a "Secret Admirers" segment, Scott Amedure (a gay guest) revealed his attraction for another (reportedly heterosexual) guest, John Schmitz; three days later, the "embarassed" and "deceived" Schmitz shot and killed Amedure. The first (March 11) AP report on the murder, written by Frazier Moore, completely sidestepped homophobia. Like many reporters, Moore failed to grasp that he was reporting on a hate-motivated crime. For Moore, the central issue was the ethics of the talk show's producers. His article implied that the murder resulted from the mere fact of the talk-show "deception." In a follow-up story (April 9), AP reporter Jennifer Loven examines the criticism surrounding the public debate about Amedure's murder, in which "much of the blame fell on talk shows - their topics, their ambush tactics." "But gay activists and others say the debate misses the point," Loven reports, "(that) it wasn't a talk show, but fear and revulsion toward gays, that got Scott Amedure killed." Loven quotes lesbian and gay community activists, whose voices were conspicuously absent in the mush of the initial coverage. She also cites hate crimes statistics that underscore homophobia's pervasive and ravaging impact. Curiously, however, Loven never directly mentions the role that the press itself (including the AP) played in shaping the lop-sided debate over the "talk show murder." Send comments to: Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 10020. 17) Music Peter, Paul & Mary Celebrating 35 years in the entertainment industry, folk music legends Peter, Paul & Mary have issued "Lifelines," a new CD that features various guest artists. One of the numbers is a duet between Mary Travers and Holly Near. The song -- "Home Is Where The Heart Is" -- was written by Sally Fingerett, and is an ode to queer families. Written as if sung by a mother to her daughter, the lyri cs touch upon the lives of various couples, with references to both lesbian and gay individuals. The chorus reminds listeners: "Home is where the heart is, no matter where the heart lives." As one fan of the new CD remarked, the song's theme is "that family values are gay values." Significantly, Warner Brothers has released "Home Is Where The Heart Is" as the CD's first single. Compliments can be sent to: Donna Russo, Warner Brothers Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th Floor, New York 10019; fax 212-275-4500. Copy your correspondence to: Gerald Levin, CEO, Time-Warner, Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019, tel. 212-522-1212. And don't forget to request the song when calling your local "Adult Contemporary/Middle-of-the-Road ('Soft Rock')" radio stations. 18) Advertising No Regrets On March 2nd, The Sports Authority company placed a quarter-page advertisement in "The Charlotte Observer." The ad depicted various sale items in an "end of season ski clea rance," and the caption under one pair of boots read: "You'll ski like a faggot with these!" On March 3rd, the company placed another ad, which announced: "WE APOLOGIZE." This ad, in the form of a letter from company Vice President Richard Lynch, went on to say that the previous advertisement "included language that was inappropriate and offensive to our loyal customers and the residents of Charlotte. The use of this language was obviously in error. The individual responsible was terminated immediately and safeguards have been put in place to ensure this does not occur again." That apology failed to satisfy some local activists, however, who have noted that The Sports Authority's letter never mentioned lesbians or gays. David Stout, the editor of "Q Notes," a North Carolina lesbian/gay newspaper, called the apology "regrettable." According to Stout, the company "directed their apology towards 'loyal customers and the residents of Charlotte' rather than those who were tr uly demeaned. Doesn't The Sports Authority believe that gays and lesbians deserve a direct apology for the needless emotional pain that was caused by the advertisement?" In a March 24th letter to Stout, Richard Lynch attempted to defend his apology. Lynch wrote: "In crafting The Sports Authority's apology, ALL groups that might have been offended were considered. The conclusion reached was that potentially many groups were offended, including groups who do not necessarily support the gay and lesbian lifestyle." Send your comments to: Richard J. Lynch, Senior Vice President, The Sports Authority, 3383 North State Road 7, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33319; fax (305) 677-6028. "No Control" Recently, the manufacturers of "Gold Bond Medicated Powder" were asked if they would refrain from buying air time during homophobic radio broadcasts. The company's marketing manager, Art Gutierrez, replied: "We, at Martin Himmel, Inc., take great pride in the quality, honesty, and integri ty of our commercials. Although we purchase a great amount of air time on national radio networks, and also at the local level, we have no control over the programs on which our commercials are aired; nor do we have any influence over the program content." This response is a fundamental misrepresentation of the nature of the commercial broadcasting industry. That industry is formed by the economic pressure exerted from three sources: (1) the public (which includes consumers), (2) the competition and (3) financial supporters (such as investors and advertisers). Broadcasters do NOT acquire most of their profits directly from consumers, but from advertisers. As a consequence, the history of broadcasting is replete with examples of programming produced to appease the interests of advertisers. It is particularly disingenuous for a major, national advertiser to claim powerlessness over broadcast programming. Send your comments to: Art Gutierrez, Marketing Manager, Martin H immel, Inc., P.O. Box 5479, Lake Worth, FL 33466-5479; fax 407-585-0077. Wendy's Patties Help Pat Robertson In his new book, "Well Done," Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's restaurant, commends Pat Robertson for his contributions to the community. In a section entitled "Pingo! It's Positively Pat!" Thomas praises Robertson for "doing things right," and promoting "wholesomeness and family values." His admiration for Robertson has led Thomas not only to appear as a guest on the 700 Club, but also to advertise Wendy's products on the Family Channel. Robertson, of course, has made his views on homosexuality clear. "These people, are, in their thinking, weird," Robertson says. "They are anti-family, anti-god, anti-traditional, and they want to open our children to all kinds of bizarre sex, and it's wrong." Dave Thomas, comparing his own success in the burger business to Robertson's million-dollar profits in the "soul-saving" business, says that "faith is built one per son at a time. That's how you launch space satellites, cook hamburgers or save souls." It is not a far stretch to figure out that gays are on Thomas' hate list as well. Contact Wendy's corporate offices and ask whether the fast food giant stands behind its founder's fawning over bigots. Use one of our pre-printed postcards or direct your own questions and searing comments to: Wendy's headquarters at 4288 West Dublin-Granville Road, Dublin, OH 43017; fax (614) 764-6894. 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. 19) On Line Still Outlaws in Montana (Editor's note: The following letter was received after the recent action by the Montana legislature which had passed a bill to make homosexuals register with the State. A letter from Governor Marc Racicot, which was drafted after the Montana legislature withdrew its bill, indicated that all was "safe and well" for lesbians and gay men in Montana. Rod Swift has written to inform us differently.) Gay and lesbian people in Montana, if convicted of a charge of sodomy, still have to register for TEN years under the "existing" laws, which were being amended to a lifetime registration. It is important that the message gets out that gay and le sbian people, if convicted of a consensual act of sodomy, can and will be registered for 10 years. There was a report of this in OutNow, the gay newspaper in Northern California. Rod Swiftbear@metronet.com 20) Electronic Communication World Wide Women The Lesbian Avengers of Berlin have established a World Wide Web site. Internet users can access the site at http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/students/zcacsst/LA.html. The Medium Is The Modem The newly-updated "Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Internet Resource Guide" is a comprehensive listing that covers everything from newsgroups to WWW pages. For details, contact: Phillip Mason, 403 Stringtown Road,Williamsburg, KY 40769-9727, e-mail phillip@iglou.com. Techno-Liberties The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) is a non-profit, public interest organization advocating public policies that "advance constitutional civil liberties and democratic values in new computer and communications technologies." Contact: CDT, te l. 202-637-9800, e-mail info@cdt.org (CDT also has World Wide Web site at http://www.cdt.org/). 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. Access GLAAD on: World Wide Web at: http://www.datalounge.com/glaad/ 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 and at the same time it goes to the printer, by setting your modem for the GLAAD BBS, (213) 658-6516. 21) Letters Inland Empire Homophobia An open letter to KCKC Radio (San Bernardino, CA) genera l manager Bill McNulty: I want you to know that I think your talk show hosts for the most part do an outstanding job. But Bill Kinison - on two separate occasions and on two consecutive days - has managed to offend and deeply hurt this writer, and I want to know: Do you and KCKC share his views? On Monday, March 27, 1995 during the 10 a.m. slot Mr. Kinison talked about certain signs of the Zodiac, and chirped in that a man who is Pisces is, to use his own language, a "wimp." In the very next breath, he volunteered, "a lot of gay men are Pisces." And then he had a good laugh! On Tuesday, March 28, 1995 during the 6 a.m. hour Radio talk show host Bill Kinison outdid himself. Discussing the Academy Awards and Tom Hanks with two other guests - a man and a woman - Kinison maintained that Hank's speech pattern had changed since winning the two Oscar awards. Further, that he is not "one of the guys" anymore. When the male guest contradicted Kinison here, Kinison replied: "that's because you want to have a gay experience with him." A short time later, Mr. Kinison said "It's a good thing that he (Tom Hanks during his Oscar acceptance speech) finally recognized his wife rather than a gay teacher." McNulty, I want you to know that there's nothing funny about Kinison's gay baiting. In fact, it turns off many people. It also helps to reinforce stereotypes about gays. So now what? Should Bill Kinison be censured for his comments? No. But he must be told that people are not amused and that there's a price to pay for homophobia. I plan to turn him off, boycott his sponsors, and speak out against the offensive remarks every chance I get. Sincerely, David Tulanian (Editor's note: Bill Kinison called David and invited him on his program. David accepted. Kinison had David on for an hour, treated him very well, and David thinks he has made a change. If the last name sounds familiar, it's because Bill Kinison is Sam Kinison's brother.) And... Right-Wing Tracking Gay/Lesbian TV Carl Matthes, Editor, GLAAD Newsletter 8455 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 305 Los Angeles, California 90048 Dear Carl: According to an article in the American "Family" Association newsletter (a well-funded, right-wing homophobic group), numerous television shows apparently treated lesbians and gay men with unusual honesty during the month of March. On "Party of Five" (Fox) on March 15, Rolf, a recurring character on the series, was revealed to be gay and in the process of adopting a child. On "Roseanne" (ABC) on March 22, Jackie (Roseanne's sister) said that it would be ok if her son turned out to be gay, and, if that happened, she said she would march in a gay pride parade with him. On "Seinfeld" (NBC) on March 16, a gay man and his partner were shown in a scene at the gym. In the movie "Single White Female" shown on CBS on March 22, the most normal-seeming character was a gay man, Graham. On "Sisters" (NBC), the l esbian character, Norma, continued to have recurring appearances in the series. In "My Brother's Keeper"(CBS), the March 19 episode was about Tom Bradley, a gay teacher who was also HIV positive. On "Melrose Place" (Fox), gay character Matt appeared on March 13, March 20, and March 27. In the debut of "Medicine Ball" (Fox) on March 13, there was an allusion to the possibility that the wounded woman's lover could be a woman. On "Friends" (NBC), recurring lesbian characters Carol and Susan appeared on March 16. And finally, on "Hope & Gloria" (NBC) on March 23, Isaac, who will apparently be a regular character in this new series, discussed his break-up with his lover, Emilio, who had some apprehension about bringing Isaac home and thereby coming out to his family. We continue to make progress as recognized by the Religious "Right". Warmly, David Bockoff GLAAD Wants Your Letter Keep contacting those individuals and companies that are helping to shape the attitude s and form the ideas in our country. There is a need for continual gay and lesbian reaction to the events that are shaping our lives and our future. Communication is one of our most effective tools. When you send a letter responding to an issue, send a copy to us for our files. We would also like to have a copy of any response you receive. Send to: Letters to the Editor, c/o 8455 Beverly Blvd., #305, Los Angeles 90048; 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. 22) GLAAD News Hawaii Update On May 10, Judge Shimabukuro heard a request by some Hawaii Mormon leaders to stay all proceedings in BAEHR V. LEWIN until the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled on whether the Mormons could be co-defendants with the state (a ruling that will take some time). Judge Shimabukuro quickly dismissed the request for a stay, a nd cited his earlier decision in late March that the Mormons would not be made co-defendants with the state. Presumably, the Mormons will now appeal this rejection of the stay to Hawaii's Supreme Court. Dan Foley represented the Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project (HERMP) at the hearing this morning. KRON-TV in San Francisco is airing some prime news coverage of the Hawaii case "soon". They've also prepared a documentary for later in the fall. Likewise, the much-postponed PBS show on the Hawaii case may be aired this summer. Your comments to: Tom Ramsey, Secretary, HERMP Steering Committee, GLCC/HERMP, 1820 University Ave., Honolulu, HI 96822; fax (808) 926-1000; ramsey@math.hawaii.edu "The Freedom to Marry" In a Honolulu courtroom this fall, the State of Hawaii is going to attempt to show a compelling reason why it should be allowed to continue to discriminate against same sex couples in its issuance of marriage licenses. The only "compelling" reason the State has come up with so far is procreation. The lawyers for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, who are defending the case, are hopeful for an outcome in favor of same-sex marriages. If that happens, any couple in the United States who wants to be LEGALLY married, may do so by flying to the State of Hawaii. Under the U.S. Constitution, each State must recognize the laws of the other States, so a same-sex marriage performed in Hawaii would have to be recognized in the other States and by the federal government. There is movement among some politicians and right-wing activists to fight this by introducing legislation in the mainland States and the federal government that would block recognition of same-sex marriages performed in Hawaii. Legally recognized same-sex marriages will prove to be a watershed in our fight for civil rights. A spouse will have the same legal right to be present in a hospital if something happens requiring hospitalization. Partners would be legally recognized as spouses in all legal regards, which will effect insurance policies, taxes, wills and other probate issues. Just as every American citizen who happens to be heterosexual has the right to marry their loved one, GLAAD strongly believes in gays and lesbians having the RIGHT to choose marriage. GLAAD is taking the nationwide lead in an alliance with the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and several local organizations in fighting this - the next major battle for our civil rights. Project 21 Summer internships are available with Project 21, 10-20 hours per week (UNPAID). Students (preferably graduate) could get independent study credit, though, no doubt, through their own institution. Project 21 campaigns for educational equity for LGBT people through curricular POLICY reform, preferably at the state level. We intend to influence State Bds. of Ed. and State Depts. of Ed. and their policies. Our current project is to complete an organizing manual w hich will enable interested activists around the country to do this work by providing information on the issues, the players, the procedures, and the resources available. Applicants must have strong writing and analytical/synthetical skills. Much of the work will be done on the Macintosh. All phone calls, postage and copying costs will be paid by the project. Send letter and resume to: Jessea Greenman, Co-Founder, Project 21, , 586 62nd St. Oakland, CA 94609-1245; ph/fax: 510-601-8883. GLAAD In the News Always on the cutting edge, GLAAD showed up in Brett Atwood's May 6 Billboard cover story on the emergence of a new lesgaybi music genre called queercore. The story, entitled "Queercore Punk Rock Ready to Face Market," talked about the increasing success of bands like Pansy Division, which play to punk and hard core audiences that traditionally have been less hospitable lesbian, gay, and bisexual musicians. GLAAD Associate Director Dona ld Suggs was quoted about the lack of openly gay and bisexual rock musicians in the past. From cutting edge to on the edge, who'd have thought GLAAD would end up being mentioned by arch-conservative USA Today columnist John Leo? -- even if it was to mischaracterize GLAAD's position on diversity. Leo wrote about GLAAD in a piece entitled "Feel Abused? Get in Line." Leo incorrectly stated that gay white men were being discriminated against at GLAAD because of a (non-existent) "quota system" at the New York office. When the president of Massachusetts' Bradford College refused to honor students' choice of lesbian/ transgender activist Leslie Feinberg as commencement speaker, the students turned to GLAAD for help. GLAAD gave them some impromptu media training and helped them draft and distribute some statements and press releases. The result? The students' victory over the president's bigoted and ill-considered stance went out over the wires in an April 21 Associated Pres s story. The issue of outing reared its head again in a large piece in The Washington Blade. Prominently featured was GLAAD Executive Director Ellen Carton, who spoke about the importance of covering the lives of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Also in the Blade, GLAAD/NCA was prominently featured in a feature about a forum GLAAD co-sponsored about the fall-out from a derogatory story The Washington Post wrote about the murder of a gay man. GLAAD/NCA has been helping to lead the fight against the defamatory piece which stereotypes the victim with irrelevant details such as his alleged fondness for cruising and expensive clothes. GLAAD/NCA would like to see the Post focus on more pertinent issues, such as the recent rash of killings in Washington, DC's gay male community. And finally, ETC wrote an item about the 1995 GLAAD Media Awards, accompanied by a photo of Barbara Walters, GLAAD Executive Director Ellen Carton, and NBC Nightly News exec Jeff Gralnick...GLAAD Field Office Director Donna Red Wing and Associate Director Donald Suggs were listed as experts on "freedom of expression" in Current Voices, a research guide for media professionals published by the Institute for Alternative Journalism. 23) GLAAD Offices Portland Field Office... by Donna Red Wing April began with a first-ever meeting of all national full-time staff members. New York and Los Angeles and Portland came together to share ideas and to create a cohesive strategic plan for the next six months. The National Field Office will be a major player in a number of the projects, including the "Freedom to Marry Project," media trainings and monitorings and the "Day of Compassion Project." All will promote a substantial response from the field, involving chapters and major OutPosts. The Field Office finally printed the GLAAD Organizing Handbook and sent it off, in the GLAAD Field Kit, to more than two dozen interested groups around the country. The Field Kit i s a "jump-start" tool for people who want to create a GLAAD outlet in their area, providing information and strategies to begin Chapters, OutPosts and LookOuts. We are working with another dozen or so sites and will send their kits in the next few weeks. Thom Kincheloe, our administrative assistant, and I facilitated the GLAAD/Salem Media 101 training with Gary Smith, the local GLAAD coordinator. Activists from central and southern Oregon participated in a lively day-long workshop. Again, the "Meet the Press" component allowed participants to actually pitch stories to their local media outlets and the videotaped interviews let them take everything they had learned and put it to use. Evaluations told us that Media 101 is a valuable addition to the activists' toolbox. One participant, from the southern part of the state, is pulling together a Media 101 for her rural constituency groups. I travelled to our GLAAD/Atlanta chapter to work with Board members and volunteers to help them put together a strategic plan and to help them revitalize their chapter. With the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, we created a program that will focus on media around the event. From Atlanta, I went to Little Rock, Arkansas, to work with National Board member David Ivers to organize a GLAAD presence, there. Two dozen activists, representing a broad Little Rock constituency, signed up to help create GLAAD/Little Rock. Next stop - San Diego, where I spoke at the Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club. It was a wonderful evening, bringing together a large group of Club members and GLAAD members. We held a dinner party at Board member Matthew Doeer's home, to thank Board and volunteers for their good work and we conducted an all-day Media 101 training for more than thirty representatives of San Diego G.L.B.T. organizations. Back in Portland, the National Field Office is receiving a growing number of inquiries from people wanting to participate in GLAAD. This month PFLA G invited GLAAD to include its alerts in their quarterly newsletter. Now, their 40,000 members will have access to GLAAD information and can join our constantly growing number of media activists. The Dispatch-Bulletin made its debut, a merger between the New York Bulletin, which had been published every other month, and the NFO Dispatch, a twice-monthly publication. The Dispatch-Bulletin is published and distributed monthly and includes local and national alerts. We have recieved more than thirty applications for our summer internship in Portland, Oregon. The combination of GLAAD and the beautiful Pacific Northwest has resulted in a large number of exciting and qualified applicants. That tough decision will be made by May 15th. That is the day that we move into larger office space in the same building. We simply outgrew what one visiting staff person called our "cramped, Kafkaesque quarters." GLAAD/NFO continues to look for potential GLAAD outlets across the countr y. If you live in an area where there is no GLAAD presence, and you would like to start one, please call Thom Kincheloe, at 503.224.5285. He can talk to you about our organizing options and can send you a Field Kit. A small group of committed people can make a real difference. Join our extraordinary grassroots effort. Become a part of the definition of what it means to be gay or lesbian or bisexual in your part of the world. GLAAD/National Field Office, 1130 SW Morrison, Portland, Oregon 97205; 503.224.5285. Chicago... by Randy Snyder A three-month tracking study (Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, 1994) of the coverage of lesbian/gay/bisexual issues in Chicago's two largest mainstream newspapers reveals that the Chicago Tribune not only exceeds the Chicago Sun-Times in total number of articles, but surpasses it in eight out of thirteen categories used to analyze the coverage. The study includes areas of focus such as the number of articles that focus on gay and lesbian issues, the number that lists the words lesbian or gay in the titles, articles that mention gay issues in passing and articles that focus on the gay community in Chicago. Other categories cover subject matter such as crimes against gays and lesbians, political/legal issues, gays in the military and the "cause" of homosexuality. The Chicago Sun-Times printed a total of 86 articles that either mentioned or focused on gay issues compared to 107 articles in the Chicago Tribune over the three-month period. The Tribune carried 12 articles focusing on lesbian and gay issues that were 500 words or more compared to three by the Sun-Times. Although the analysis does not characterize the nature of the coverage, it proves what GLAAD/Chicago has noticed: the Tribune is becoming more progressive in its coverage of gay issues, while the Sun-Times seems to be regressing. Your comments may be directed to: Mr. Howard Tyner, Editor, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611; fax (312) 222-3143; Mr. Dennis A. Britton, Editor & Executive Vice President, Chicago Sun-Times, 401 N. Wabash, Chicago, IL 60611; fax (312) 321-3084. Copies of the study may be obtained by contacting: GLAAD/Chicago, P.O. Box 146323, Chicago, IL 60614; fax (312) 338-5482. As of April 14th, the Chicago Sun-Times has dropped lesbian journalist Deb Price from its roster of local and nationally-syndicated columnists (in 1992, Price began her weekly reports on lesbian and gay issues, the first such syndicated columns in the United States). It is ironic that the Sun-Times chose to dump Price on the eve of the publication of her new book "And Say Hi to Joyce," a collaboration between Deb Price and her partner Joyce Murdock. The Sun-Times remained evasive when they were questioned as to why they let Price go. Penny Williams Martin, executive assistant to Sun-Times Editor Dennis Britton, equated dropping Price to the futures market section of the paper where "we just removed lumber. " She went on to say that the paper routinely rotates their syndicated columnists. Send your comments, along with a request to "rotate" Deb Price back into print, to: Dennis A. Britton, Editor & Executive Vice President, "Chicago Sun-Times," 401 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611; fax 312-321-3084. Kansas City... by Jeanie Keeny In response to a request by a rep of the Kansas City Guidance Counselor Association, representatives of GLAAD/KC, PFLAG and Project 21 presented an inservice training segment on gay issues for guidance counselors in the Kansas City (MO) School District on April 19. Seventy-five K-12 counselors received factual information and a resource packet for working toward ensuring safe school environments for all children - including gay, lesbian and bisexual students. Randy Hite and Troy Alldaffer, both in their twenties, of GLAAD/KC's Gay Family Speakers Bureau, enhanced the program as each spoke movingly of what school was like for them as gay children in a world that denied their existence. The presentation of this educational program is a product of the Project 21 Committee of GLAAD/KC. Rob Birle, Midwest Coordinator of Project 21, and Mary Jan Houston, board member of GLAAD and PFLAG, co-chair the Project 21 Book Committee. Their focus is on the availability and accessibility of fair and honest material and information in all educational settings. Jeanie Keeny was featured in the April 2 "Best Advice" column published in the Kansas City Star. Along with her picture and designation as a GLAAD National Board Member, she responded to the question "What's the best advice you've ever heard?" Jeanie remarked, "Truth-telling is the foundation of authenticity, self-regard, integrity and joy...Years ago I saw this quotation on a bookmark. Since then it has been meaningful to me. It inspires me when I run into people who don't understand me or how important it is for anyone, including gay people, to be able to be t ruthful about who they really are." Los Angeles... GLAAD is kicking off its focus on "The Freedom to Marry" with its gay pride booths nationwide. In Los Angeles, GLAAD is joining with Lambda and the Los Angeles Center to create even more visibility. Each organization is going to capitalize on its own strengths in getting the message out. GLAAD is going to perform three commitment ceremonies on its float during the Los Angeles Christopher Street West parade and will pass out information about the Hawaii court case. Volunteers are needed across the country to help out at pride events and focus of the larger tasks that loom ahead. Call is at (213) 658-6775 and get involved. This is your freedom at stake. NCA... by Cathy Renna The National Capital Area Chapter of GLAAD, in response to recent articles in the Washington Post, is calling for a meeting of Washington Post Editorial staff and reporters with members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered c ommunity to discuss the declining quality of their coverage. An April 17 article "Gay Social Club Raises Health Concerns," and a April 20 editorial, "Why Another Bathhouse in D.C.?" have caused a firestorm of protest and complaint. And compounding the problem, is the fact that these articles appeared shortly on the heels of a community forum to discuss a controversial article about a gay "pick-up murder" in the Style section last month. "A front-page headline about gay men 'raising health concerns' is sensationalism at its worst - and far from the responsible journalism expected from a newspaper like the Washington Post," said GLAAD/NCA co-chair Cathy Renna. GLAAD/NCA is urging the D.C. Metro Area gay community to call the Washington Post and encourage its editorial staff to meet with a diverse coalition from the community to discuss ways of improving coverage of the community. New York... June 11 - "Lesbian Fashion & Style Panel" What does a lesbian look like in the 90's? And does it matter anyway? On Sunday, June 11th GLAAD will co-sponsor the "Lesbian Fashion & Style Panel" as part of The NY Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at NY's Joseph Papp Public Theater. The lively panel discussion will include lesbian editors from Mademoiselle & OUT magazines, lesbian models, lesbian stylists, lesbian designers and lesbian cultural critics. For tickets and information call The Festival at 212.343.2707. "1,000 Legends"... On Thursday, April 13th, "The Night of 1000 Legends," GLAAD's premiere event to outreach to and celebrate the transgender and drag communities was an overwhelming success. Besides being a fund raiser, GLAAD raised a consciousness of pride and remembrance for the important contributions the transgendered and drag communities have made to the larger community throughout the modern gay movement. "As the visible tip of the iceberg, drag kings, drag queens and transgendered people, fought many important battles that helped birth the lesbian and gay movement of the 70's. After a quarter of a century, thousands of lesbian, gay men and bisexuals have come out of the closet; not all gay people are transgendered or drag kings or queens. Now we are beginning to see another iceberg begin to rise. As the Trans-Liberation movement begins to emerge with gay, lesbian and bisexual visibility, we recognize that not all transgendered people, drag kings and drag queens are gay, lesbian or bisexual. We have come full circle; there are two movements that partially overlap, and I, having a foot in two different boats, would hate to see them move in opposite directions. This is why I am so proud that organizations like GLAAD are helping to build unity." - Leslie Feinberg, author of Stone Butch Blues and soon to be published Transgendered Warriors. The evening at Club 58 brought together a large diversity of organizations, individuals and talent. Spanning four generations of gender non-conformists, Legenda ries such as Quentin Crisp, Leslie Feinberg, Coco LaChine, Lady Catiria, Diane Torr, Philomena, Darna & Davidson, Shelly Mars, Buster Hymen, Queen Allison, Dominique Dibbell, Bazooka Jane and Kim Ono, were all on hand to lend their words, music and movement to the evenings festivities. It is important, especially as we move deeper into the political climate of our time, to strengthen and empower all the links in our community. According to the NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, the transgender and drag communities are often targets of brutal gay-bashing. With the realization that homophobia extends itself beyond sexual-orientation and assaults any form of gender non-conformity, our gay, lesbian and bisexual communities are beginning to recognize the importance of reestablishing policies based on inclusion. Commencing with "The Night of 1,000 Legends" and a special Media Training for TG leaders, GLAAD looks forward to continue working with the transgender and dra g communities in promoting fair, accurate and inclusive representations in the media. "Psychic Singles"... On Sunday, May 7th GLAAD, The Advocate, Absolut Vodka and HX magazine sponsored a "Psychic Singles" singles party at New York's Flamingo East restaurant. Prizes for the party were donated by Epic Records, Joseph Aboud, Raymond Dragon, A Different Light Bookstore and various local restaurants and businesses. Ballot Measure 9... A GLAAD benefit screening of the award-winning documentary Ballot Measure 9 (which was recently featured at The Sundance Film Festival) will be held at The Film Forum in New York on June 21st at 7pm. This provocative film tells the story of what happened during the 1992 campaign for Oregon's anti-gay ballot initiative, and features GLAAD's own NFO Director, Donna Red Wing. Tickets are $15. Send checks to: GLAAD, 150, W.26th Street, Suite 503, New York 10001, or call 212.807.1700 to RSVP or for more information. Pride Activities.. . June is Pride Month! Celebrate with GLAAD in New York at The Pride Rally on June 18th at Union Square Park and march with the GLAAD contingent on June 25th in the annual Pride Parade! Call 212.807.1700 for meeting point! San Diego... by Dennis Lucarelli A GLAAD/San Diego member spotted an advertisement by Miramax for its new feature film "Hero Pig" about Gordy, "the little pig who made it big" in the May 1995 issue of the Southern California Christian Times, a right-wing publication with regular columns by Cal Thomas and Exodus International's Bob Davies, whose May '95 column is entitled "Can Homosexuals Change?" According to the film's executive producer Sybil Robson, the film "represents a new wave of family entertainment. It is dedicated to people who are sick and tired of the junk attached to PG-rated movies." Let Miramax know how you feel about their advertising support for a publication that regularly promotes hate and bigotry. Call: 1 (800) HERO-PIG. San Francisco... by Laurie Falik, Al Kielwasser & Kathleen Wilkinson As part of a new "value-based" budgeting program, the San Francisco Board of Education is seeking community input regarding the school district's next annual budget. A Community Budget Advisory Committee has been meeting to facilitate that process, which included a March 26 public meeting with various lesbian and gay groups. Somewhat disorganized and poorly attended, that meeting still offered an unprecedented opportunity for lesbians and gays to provide specific recommendations to the school district on a number of key issues. Those in attendance called for lesbian/gay inclusion in textbooks at all grade levels, the renaming of a school to honor Harvey Milk and elimination of the paramilitary Junior ROTC (JROTC). The JROTC program was the focus of numerous objections. Representatives of various lesbian/gay groups noted that JROTC textbooks contain racist and homophobic content, as well as med ical misinformation about HIV/AIDS. Speakers also reminded the committee of current U.S. military policy, which denies basic civil rights to lesbians and gays. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is fully embraced by the JROTC (which is, after all, a Pentagon program). In effect, by allowing the JROTC to continue, the school district willingly invites homophobic bigotry directly into our classrooms. The suggestion that JROTC be disbanded was met with opposition from Commissioner Jill Wynns, who is the Board of Education's liaison to the Community Budget Advisory Committee. According to Wynns, "about 1,000 students" (of the district's 60,000) have (somehow) told her that they like JROTC. Therefore, Wynns said, she feels bound to support the program. Where's the logic there? If 1,000 students told Wynns that they could get more homework done on crack, would she support the installation of cocaine vending machines? For that matter, it's probable that at least 1,000 student s dislike mathematics; but, on that basis, should the school district drop any math requirements? Furthermore, Wynns completely ignored the fact that JROTC programs across the nation utilize a systematic process of intimidation. A "code of silence" surrounds children in the program, who have only reluctantly begun to report numerous instances of "hazing" and other brutality that are JROTC hallmarks. In particular, lesbian and gay students "whose already-homophobic schools are made only more threatening by a JROTC presence" may be the least likely to register their complaints. Ultimately, the JROTC program can't be defended on either intellectual or moral grounds. And it can't be defended financially, either. According to one estimate, JROTC programs cost the San Francisco school district about $700,000 a year. Imagine if even a small percentage of that money were used to purchase textbooks that did not censor lesbian and gay existence. The bottom line is that JROTC textbooks teach hate and violence to our city's children. That's a curriculum that the San Francisco United School District simply can't afford. Send feedback to: SFUSD Ad Hoc Community Budget Advisory Committee, San Francisco Unified School District, Business Services Department, 135 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102-5299; fax (415) 241-6482. Share your concerns with Commissioner Wynns, as well (the Board of Education might be one vote away from ridding the district of JROTC bigotry); write to: Jill Wynns, San Francisco Board of Education, 135 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102-5299. Finally, for added impact, copy your letters to the editors of local newspapers. GLAAD/SFBA New Managing Director... On April 24 lesbian activist Kristy Billuni began work as GLAAD/SFBA's sole full-time staff member. She serves in the newly created position of Managing Director, working with our hands-on Board, a team of project directors and volunteers and part-time Adminis trative Assistant Laura Perez. Kristy's duties include program coordination, fundraising, fiscal and office management and volunteer outreach. 24) Los Angeles PBS Gay & Lesbian Television Programming... by Robert McDonnell (Air dates are for Los Angeles area only, please check local listings to confirm air dates and times.) "Where Are We: Our Trip Through America" (Friday, June 16, 11:00 pm - 12:00 am): Oscar-winning filmmakers Bob Epstein ("Common Threads," "The Life & Times of Harvey Milk") and Jeffrey Friedman ("Common Threads") head out from their San Francisco homes in search of an America they haven't yet discovered. Traveling through the South and Southwest by van, bus, and even by train, Epstein and Friedman stop in cities and small towns to talk with people they meet along the way. Their travels provide an interesting perspective of gays and lesbians in the heartland of America. "The Lost Language of Cranes" (Thursday, June 22, 10:00 pm - 11:30 pm): Based u pon American author David Leavitt's novel, "The Lost Language of Cranes" is the story of two men coming to terms with their homosexuality--one a young man in his twenties, the other his father. Against this dramatic revelation, the drama becomes a universal and moving story of self-discovery and the bonds of familial commitment and love. "Greetings from Out Here" (Friday, June 23, 11:00 pm - 12:00 am) "Coming Out Under Fire" (Wednesday, June 28, 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm) "Before Stonewall" (Wednesday, June 28, 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm): From the sexual experimentation of the roaring twenties, to the scapegoating of homosexuals during the McCarthy era and the development of the early homophile movement, Before Stonewall presents a unique portrait of the history of homosexual experience in America. Using filmed recollections and a wealth of archival material both from the mass media's portrayal of homosexuality and from the gay community's own documentation, this film traces the social, political, and cultural development of the lesbian and gay community. "Non, Je ne Regrette Rien (No Regrets)" (Wednesday, June 28, 10:30 pm - 11:30 pm): Marlon Riggs, the award-winning creator of Tongues Untied and Color Adjustment, completed this film before passing away due to complications from AIDS. In "Non, Je ne Regrette Rien," Riggs takes a hard-hitting look at the realities of living with HIV. "In the Life" (Friday, June 30, 11:00 pm - 12:00 am): The first and only nationally broadcast television series reflecting gay and lesbian culture, this installment of In the Life explores an important post-Stonewall trend happening across America: the increasing move by gays and lesbians out of large urban centers and into smaller cities, towns and rural communities. While gay and lesbian Americans still migrate to the relative safety found in large cities, lesbians and gay men are increasingly able to remain or actually move back to the small towns from which they came. S tories include an openly gay mayor in a small Midwestern town now serving his sixth term in office, and a preview of the suburban romantic comedy, "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love." 25) Volunteer Profile Shawn Griffin by Nancy Perez Shawn's first involvement with GLAAD was in 1990 when he attended his first general meeting. Shortly thereafter, he became an active volunteer of the Monitor Response and Community Outreach Committees. As if that were not enough, Shawn also became an active member of the Media Awards Committee in which he was a member of the Steering Committee. In 1991, he was the recipient of GLAAD's first ever "Volunteer of the Year" award. As a member of our Speaker's Bureau Shawn has participated in numerous speaking engagements on GLAAD's behalf. He is Co-founder and Chair of GLAAD's People of Color Committee and has been instrumental in co-producing GLAAD's "Club Cross Culture" and a trio of community forums. He is currentl y working with the Planning Committee to produce the second annual "Club Cross Culture" event, which will feature local performance artists and is scheduled to take place in early September. Shawn was also one of our lovely models in our 1994 "We Are Who You Are" bus bench campaign. He also serves on the Los Angeles council. Shawn fondly recalls the early days at GLAAD and his interaction with then Co-chair Jehan Agrama: "I remember I was considering leaving the organization because of a misunderstanding of GLAAD's stance on 'In Living Color's,' 'Men on Film' skits. I wrote Jehan Agrama, and she called me and threatened to 'kick my butt' if I left." It was then that Shawn realized that GLAAD was like a big family, with no problem too big that it couldn't be solved. When Shawn is not volunteering for GLAAD, he works as the program coordinator for the Gay Men of Color Consortium. He is also a bigtime Madonna fan. Wherever there's a Madonna song, you're sure to find Sh awn. This tireless, young activist devotes a great amount of time and energy to GLAAD and the lesbian, gay, bisexual community at large and he does so with real style and a sense of humor. Thank you, Shawn, you are truly a gem! 26) Clarence Vernon Mitchell Trust... Recently, GLAAD was named beneficiary of the Clarence Vernon Mitchell Trust with a bequest of $40,000. The funds will go to support the work that GLAAD does on the national level and the local level through its chapters. 27) Richmond... by Kelly McHugh In a ruling on April 21, the Virginia Supreme Court removed custody of Tyler Doustou from his mother, Sharon Bottoms, and placed custody with his grandmonther, Kay Bottoms. Among the reasons given for this ruling in a 4 to 3 opinion, was that Sharon Bottoms is an unfit parent because of her "demonstrated unwillingess and inability to promote the emotional and physical well-being of her child," and that she "refuses to subordinate her own desires and pri orities to the child's welfare." The editorial writers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (RTD) declared, "(the court) rightly concluded her lesbian lifestyle could bring the boy 'social condemnation.'" The majority opinion completely disregarded evidence that children of gay and lesbian households suffer no ill efffects from their home environment. The RTD , saying that Justice Barbara Keenan, one of the dissenting justices, "parroted the argument of homosexual activists...writing that 'adverse effects of a parents' homosexuality cannot be assumed without specific proof.' "Her lesbian lover was to help raise him. Such an unconventional home life would have created an embarrassment for the boy at best - and been a damaging, corrupting torment for him at worst." Sharon's attorneys plan to appeal the decision and are even willing to take her case to the United States Supreme Court. Meanwhile, send your comments to: Ross Mackenzie, Editor, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293; fax: (804) 775-8072; GLAAD/Richmond P.O. Box 114, Oilville, VA 23129; e-mail Erato42559@aolcom To fight back with facts, arm yourself with resources: Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International (GLPCI), P.O. Box 50360, Washington, DC 20091; Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), 2300 Market Street, #165, San Francisco, CA 94114; e-mail kidsofgays@aol.com), and the Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns or the Committee on Children, Youth and Families at the American Psychological Association (APA), 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. 28) Committee on Hate/Violence... Estimates from the U.S. Department of Justice suggest that lesbians and gay men are the most frequent victims of hate violence in this country. According to a survey conducted by the American Association of University Women, U.S. school children fear one form of harassment over all others...being called "gay." What's the connection between these two repo rts? It's both sickening and simple: Children who are afraid of - or hate - the word "gay" are likely to become adults who are afraid of -- and hate -- gay people. Whenever we fail to teach the truth today, we pay for it - many times over - tomorrow. Recently, the influential California State Board of Education formed an "Ad Hoc Committee on Hate/Violence." While the Board of Education is composed almost entirely of right-wing homophobes (appointed by California governor and presidential hopeful Pete Wilson), this new committee offers an important platform for advancing curriculum reform. Given the committee's focus, the public can demand the Board's attention to the role that textbooks can - and must - play in combating homophobia. After all, unless the Board of Education begins to spend tax dollars on books that include fair and accurate information about lesbians and gays, our schools will continue to teach a curriculum of hate and violence. The members of the Ad Ho c Committee on Hate/Violence are S. William Malkasian (Committee Chair), Gerti B. Thomas, and Gary L. Weston. Send feedback to each: California Board of Education, P.O. Box 944272, Sacramento, CA 94244-2720. (and remember, even if you do not live in California, it is still important that these Board members hear from you; as a leading purchaser of textbooks, California sets national standards for the content of books used across the country). For additional information about textbook activism, contact: "Project 21," c/o GLAAD, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103; (415) 861-2244; fax (415)861-4893; e-mail glaadp21@aol.com. 29) Committee Report Calling the Hotline... When you see, hear or read something that affects the gay and lesbian community in PRINT or on TV or RADIO, remember to report it to GLAAD. In New York, phone the office 212-807-1700. In LA call 213-UR-GLAAD (213-874-5223). And when you do call, PLEASE note the following: 1. dat e 2. program or publication 3. station, if it is radio or TV 4. time it aired Before we take action on a hotline item, we review the article in its entirety, and in order to do that, we need all the pertinent information. So try to be as specific as possible. Our Committee contacts news directors with complaints and compliments via phone and letter. If you're interested in more information, in NY call the GLAAD office 212-807-1700. For the LA office, Sandy Bodner: 213-658-6775. Monitor Your Favorite News Show for GLAAD... Do you watch a particular local TV news program each day, same time, same station? If you do, then the Monitor-Response Committee needs your help. GLAAD wants to know whenever a gay/lesbian person or theme is discussed during a local news program.. You can help by committing in advance to monitor your favorite show. Then, you'll simply watch for gay oriented stories on that show, and whenever you see one, take some notes and leave a message on the GLAAD Hotline. To sign up, in NY just call the office 212-807-1700, in LA call the hotline at 213-UR-GLAAD and leave: 1 your name, address and phone number 2 the local station you watch for news 3 the specific time slots you watch (eg 5:00-5:30pm) 4 the days of the week that you watch We'll send you a follow-up letter explaining how to monitor the show you've selected. The rest you can do from the comfort of your couch. We are looking for volunteers to listen to the following programs on a regular basis, in LA: KABC Radio, Dennis Prager; KFI Radio, Bill Handle; and KIEV Radio, George Putnam. If you are willing to monitor one of these please leave your name and phone number on the Hotline. In LA, people follow the stations on their car radios, but in NY there are some egregious ones, too, that need monitoring, and the NY Committee welcomes your help. If you want to take the next step, and get personally involved, y ou're very welcome to attend the Monitor-Response (Mediawatch) Committee meetings. In New York we meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:15pm at the GLAAD office; in LA on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:30pm at the Beverly Boulevard office. Don't think of this as group therapy; we are very proactive and work fast and there is much work to do. We discuss and write letters or phone. It is that simple. Please join us. 30) Media Resources For Media Watchers "EXTRA!," the bi-monthly magazine published by FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting), devotes a special March/April '95 edition to "The Right-Wing Media Machine." For your copy contact: "EXTRA!," 130 West 25th St., New York 10001; fax 212-727-7688. "Z Magazine" The April '95 issue includes David Barsamian's article on the "Right-Wing Take-over of Public Broadcasting." For your copy write: "Z Magazine," 18 Millfield St., Woods Hole, MA 02543; fax 508-457-0626. Rot Off The Press Small presses are actively publishing homophobic books covering everything from "Healing Homosexuality" (Jason Aronson, Inc.) to "Legislating Immorality" (Moody Press). To monitor such reading, you can obtain a catalogue from one of the "leading" distributors of bigoted bibliography: Regeneration Books, P.O. Box 9830, Baltimore, MD 21284-9830. Good American The April '95 issue of the well-established "Scientific American" magazine includes a news brief on "Coming Out in the Sciences." The item highlights the status of the scientific closet, and takes note of the 800-member National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP). Send encouraging e-mail to: "Scientific American," letters@sciam.com. NOGLSTP can be reached at belmont@netcom.com. Flying High In 1993, FLYING Magazine, an aviation periodical, refused to accept paid advertising from the National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA). After many months of press ure, FLYING has retreated from its homophobic stance and has agreed to accept an NGPA classified ad in the "Flying Clubs" section of the magazine. Contact: NGPA, Dept. N, P.O. Box 27542, Washington, DC 20038-7542. Good News The board of directors of the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) has urged all wire services to add sexual orientation to their company nondiscrimination policies. Formed in 1922, the ASNE is a professional association that monitors journalistic practices and standards. Arab Lesbian and Bisexual Book Seeks Submissions Huda Jadallah is seeking submissions for her Arab lesbian and bisexual anthology, tentatively titled I Do Not Imagine Me, which is currently being considered for publication at a number of presses, including Aunt Lute Books. For more information or to submit, write to: Huda, c/o Arab Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Network, P. O. Box 460526, San Francisco, CA 94146. Peripheral Vision A collective of lesbians of c olor filmmakers, Peripheral Vision, is producing an experimental short film based on the life and work of Audre Lorde. Women of color - particularly African American - are being sought as extras. Contact: Peripheral Vision, P.O. Box 691952, Los Angeles 90069. Film Festival Internships The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is seeking three interns to help with this summer's Festival which will take place July 6 - 16 at the Director's Guild of America. Contact: Vangie Griego, Festival Manager, 8455 Beverly Blvd., #309, Los Angeles 90048. Pride Radio Scheduled to begin on June 20 on KIEV 870 AM is "Pride Radio," a program dedicated to gay entertainment, news, community, events, etc. For more information call: (818) 992-4108. 31) 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 GLAAD are: Jos eph 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. 32) "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. 33) New York Headquarters List of Volunteer Committees & Descriptions GLAAD Volunteer Opportunities New volunteers are always welcome! For more information and to confirm meeting dates and times, call the GLAAD 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, theater and print media. Help field these reports, monitor media outlets, plan response campaigns and take action! Committee meets bi-weekly, 2nd & 4th 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 GLAAD's work more visible! Committee meets bi-weekly Mondays at 7pm. The Women's Caucus/LIFT (Lesbians In Film & Television) The Women's 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 Poet's House, 72 Spring Street. 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 Tuesday 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. Call for production meeting info. For Lesbian Central schedule, please call GLAAD office, 212.807.1700. Speaker's Bureau The GLAAD Speaker's Bureau trains and provides speaker's 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 last 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 every Thursday from 5:30 to 8pm. A great way to learn about GLAAD's inner workings! Orientations Still feel like you don't know enough about GLAAD or want to hear about our latest projects? Come to our monthly Orientations, the fi rst Wednesday of the month at 8pm at The Center, 208 West 13th Street. Upcoming dates: June 7th & July 5th. The GLAAD PhoneTree GLAAD has moved into the 90's, replacing our old Phonetree systems with a PhoneTree machine, and it's 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 we'll put you on the PhoneTree machine so that you can receive our bi-monthly activation messages. 34) 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 Outspoken, 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 commu nity forums and 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 Monitor-Response (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 Op 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. 35) "Hot Tips" Welcomed GLAAD needs advance information on f ilms, 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. 36) GLAAD CALENDAR--NEW YORK For June, 1995 Please call the office and confirm times and location before attending ! June 1 Thursday Office Volunteers 5:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 6 Tuesday MediaWatch Committee (Monitoring & Response) 6:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 7 Wednesday GLAAD Orientation 8:00pm The Center, 208 W. 13th St. June 8 Thursday Office Volunteers 5:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 11 Sunday Lesbian Fashion & Style Panel Part of the New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre. Call 343 2707 for more info. June 12 Monday Membership Committee 6:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 15 Thursday Office Volunteers 5:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 18 Sunday Pride Rally Union Square Park. Call GLAAD for more info. June 20 Tuesday MediaWatch Committee (Monitoring & Response) 6:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 21 Wednesday Benefit Screening of Ballot Measure 9, which features GLAAD's own Donna Red Wing. $15 per ticket, 7pm at the Film Forum. Send money to GLAAD, or call to RSVP. June 22 Thursday Office Volunteers 5:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suit e 503 June 25 Sunday Pride March! Call GLAAD for more info. June 26 Monday Membership Committee 6:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 28 Wednesday Speakers Bureau 6:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 June 29 Thursday Office Volunteers 5:30pm 150 W. 26th St., Suite 503 For Lesbian Central schedule, please call GLAAD office For GLAADs Women Caucus/LIFT schedule, please call GLAAD office 37) IN LOS ANGELES All meetings are held in the Los Angeles offices of GLAAD at 8455 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA 90048 unless otherwise noted. For more information about these meetings, contact the office at (213) 658-6775. June 1 Th Monitor television, film, radio, and print with MediaWatch @ 7:30 PM which essentially is the backbone of GLAAD. The group also drafts letters, conducts research, and produces articles for our monthly newsletter. For the immediate future, Media Outreach is meeting simultaneously with MediaWatch. The responsibility of the Media Outreach Committee is to meet with professionals in the news media on an on-going basis and help MediaWatch determine long-range strategies. June 5 M Join the Women of GLAAD @ 7:00 PM for informal gatherings addressing lesbian visibility in the community, GLAAD, and the media. June 6 Tu The Pride Festivals Committee @ 7:00 PM meets to plan GLAAD's involvement in the many pride festivals/parades in the Southern California area. They will be creating and working the GLAAD floats and booths for the festivals. June 7 W Help extend GLAAD's message both inside and outside the lesbian/gay/bisexual community by joining Community Outreach @ 7:30 PM. June 8 Th Addressing lesbian, gay, and bisexual people of color in the media and in GLAAD, People of Color meets every second Thursday of the month @ 7:00 PM. June 12 M Outspoken @ 7:30 PM was created by GLAAD and acts as a training ground for individuals wishing to become GLAAD-certified speakers. Meeting twice a month, Outspoken will educate those in attendance on LGB issues, GLAAD's mission, and effective speaking. Once certified, individuals automatically become members of our Speaker's Bureau, occasionally speaking at local venues to educate the public on LGB issues and GLAAD's mission. Meetings will be held at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center. For more information, contact the GLAAD offices at (213) 658-6775. June 14 W Pride Festivals Committee meets again (see June 6) @ 7:00 PM June 15 Th Monitor-Response meets again (see June 1) @ 7:30 PM. June 15 Th GLAAD's Los Angeles Council meets @ 7:30 PM. With Donna Red Wing June 20 Tu Pride Festivals Committee has an orientation @ 7:00 PM for those volunteering at this week's CSW Pride. If you want to be in the parade, staff a booth, or help with decorations or clean-up, then come to the meeting to find out all the specifics. Remember: CSW Pride is Saturday and Sunday (June 24, 25). June 21 W The Nominations Committee @ 7:00 PM meets to review possible candidates for next year's GLAAD Media Awards. June 22 Th If you've ever wanted to get involved with GLAAD, our monthly GLAAD Update @ 7:00 PM is the place to be. Find out what GLAAD's all about, what we're currently working on, and how you can get involved. June 24-25 CSW - Help GLAAD celebrate by joining us. Call the office for information (213) 658-6775. June 26 M Outspoken meets again (see June 12) @ 7:30 PM at the Center. July 3 M Women of GLAAD meets again (see June 5) @ 7:00 PM. July 5 W Community Outreach meets again (see June 7) @ 7: 30 PM. July 6 Th Media Watch and Media Outreach meets again (see June 1) @ 7:30 PM. Editor Carl Matthes - FAX (213) 257-5878; e-mail GLAAD/LA BBS: (213) 658-6516, post to "Matthes"