Date: Thu, Sep 28, 1995 8:04 PM From: "Charles Zweig" Subject: GLAAD Newsletter-Sept.'95 GLAAD NEWSLETTER September 1995 INDEX 1 TV FALL SEASON ABC Murder One Tuesdays 10pm NBC Pursuit of Happiness Tuesdays 9:30pm Fox The Crew Thursdays 8:30pm CBS Courthouse Wednesdays 10pm UPN Live shot Tuesdays 9pm NBC Friends Thursdays 8pm HBO Larry Sanders Mondays 10pm Fox Party of Five Wednesdays 9pm NBC Another World Mon-Fri 1pm 2 "News Unfiltered" MTV 3 Newsweek: Bisexuals 4 Essence: Linda Villarosa 5 Cable VH-1 "Freestyles" Amanda Bearse 6 Movieline: Drew Barrymore 7 New York Times Syndicate: "Families Today" 8 Vanity Fair: Keanu Reeves 9 New York Times: Homosexual Rights Civil Rights 10 GLAAD on Cyberspace http://www.datalounge.com/glaad digiqueers@aol.com or info@dq.org glaadnatl@aol.com 11 Online resources: http://rt66.com/summers/media. http:// www.youth.org/ (www page) http://www.webcom/~sdp3/rupaul.html http://www.whitehouse.gov http://www.zoom.com:80/cds.pub/ http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek http://www.brewersguild.com/outproud/ http://www/.usa/.com/-furball 12 Gingrich Opposes Censorship 13 SurfWatch Surfware. Inc 14 David Letterman 15 William Waybourn, GLAAD's Managing Director 16 GLAAD Bisexual Caucus 17 NYC Pride Rally 18 GLAAD's "Lesbian Central" 19 Donna Red Wing, National Field Director NFO Administrator Thom Kinchloe Freedom to Marry Media Training Start-Up Kits 20 Calendar 21 GLAAD Central Illinois 22 Liflines with Jesus Christ 23 GLAAD San Diego 24 Tanqueray - Retraction 25 GLAAD Donors 26 NY Imperial Court 27 GLAAD Poster 1) Fall TV Season '95: 5 out of 6 Networks Play Ball! by Steven Kent The fall TV season is underway and new shows have been popping up on the now six networks. But not only has the number of networks risen, but the number of gay an d lesbian characters has finally come of age. This year, each of the major networks will be introducing gay men or lesbians in its new shows, a distinctive landmark in the history of broadcast television. ABC, the first in ratings, is hoping to stay at top by taking on the popular "ER" with its Stephen Bochco production "Murder One" which has been likened very much to another popular series, "The People vs. OJ Simpson." Although a network spokesperson disputes the connection, she is not shy about letting us know that a gay man figures in this on going storyline. As an assistant to defense attorney Ted Hoffman, Louis Hinesbergen is openly gay. Louis is played by John Fleck, who is gay in real life and as a performance artist was one of the NEA four who were denied grants because of the controversial content of their work. Louis's story will be slow in developing, though, because of the nature of the ensemble cast. NBC is fighting with a strong Tuesday evening lineup aimed at overpower ing the ratings hold of "Roseanne" and "Home Improvement." To help them, they have slated "The Pursuit of Happiness" following "Frasier," which was developed by openly gay producer David Lee, who helped create "Frasier" as well as other hit shows. Brad Garrett, who is big and tall like a football player, comes to the role of Alex Chosek, from the worlds of standup comedy and voiceovers. Garrett's role is perhaps the closest we've seen to a gay character in a lead role. He plays an attorney, law partner to the principal heterosexual male. With the great track records of the creators and a fabulous timeslot, it will definitely be something to watch. Fox, who last season scooped CBS out of the top three, brings us "The Crew," following "Living Single" on Thursdays. In this series about flight attendants, David Burke plays Paul Steadman, the most developed and strongest character of the ensemble cast. Maybe this is because the two co-writers/creators, Jamie Wooten and Mark Cherry, are bot h gay themselves. The only new show to premiere with a lesbian character is CBS's "Courthouse." Richard Kramer, one of the geniuses behind "Thirtysomething" and responsible for adapting "Tales of the City" for CBS is the gay connection here. If it's not exciting enough that Jennifer Lewis's role is an African-American judge, the character known as Rosetta is involved in an interracial relationship. Lewis had a role in the movie "Panther" and a successful run in her own one woman show before joining the ensemble cast of this new adult oriented drama. "Courthouse" will air on Wednesdays against Prime Time Live and Law & Order, following another new CBS hopeful, "Central Park West," the Darren Star production. There are no plans at this time for "CPW" to include any gay or lesbian characters like its sister show "Melrose Place," but this is not surprising since "MP" hasn't quite figured out what to do with its gay character's lovelife. UPN, the new network and home of "Voyager," started its second season with "Live Shot" on Tuesdays, opposite "Frasier" and "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Home Improvement." Despite its opposition, "Live Shot" is a strong ensemble show about a local television station's news room, a la "Lou Grant." Among the many players is sports reporter Lou Waller, played by hunky veteran TV actor Tom Byrd. Though the audience knows that Lou is in a relationship with another man, he has not yet come out. Though his role is minor UPN is not shying away from Byrd's being affectionate with his lover. Also returning will be our favorite lesbian couple on NBC's "Friends," Nora Dunn's recurring role on NBC's "Sisters," Mitchell Anderson's single parent friend of the "Party of Five" on Fox, and Doug Savant's character on Fox's "Melrose Place." It is not known whether Sandra Bernhard will return to this, the final season of ABC's "Roseanne." A new character will also be added to Gary Shandling's HBO series. Scott Thompson joins the cast as the gay assistant to "Larry Sanders." Thompson, who is openly gay in real life, comes from the critically acclaimed comedy series, "Kids in the Hall." There is always the possibility that some of the other new shows will later reveal that one of their characters is gay or lesbian. The networks are open to adding new characters, as the press, the PR departments and the reporters are discussing the gay characters with little hesitation. There is plenty to talk about in the fall network schedules. The "Party's" On The "Party" is not stopping. "Party of Five," Fox TV's "low-rated but critically acclaimed family drama," has been renewed for next season. This announcement - coming after reports that the series was to be canceled - followed efforts by GLAAD (pre-addressed postcards entitled "Don't Stop the Party") and others. And there may be expanded storylines around gay themes. USA Today reported: "Even Claudia's gay violin teacher Ross (Mitchell Anderson) is likely to have a relationship by mid-year." Contact: Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser, Executive Producers, "Party of Five," c/o Fox Broadcasting, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213; copy your support to Chase Carey, President, Fox Broadcasting, at the same address; e-mail foxnet@delphi.com. "The Crew" "The Crew" is a new situation comedy to be broadcast by the Fox television network. The series is based around the lives of four airline flight attendants, one of whom is gay. "The Crew" is the creation of producer-writers (and real life gay couple) Marc Cherry and Jamie Whooten. "Jaime and I have a vested interest in making sure this is a very positive portrayal," Cherry said of the show's gay character. Speaking to a group of television critics, Cherry added: "We're very thankful for the network to let us have this voice because it's not a voice that you see on every show." He reminded the audience that "you can't deny the existence of gay people throughout this country...people who have a distinct comedy voice and should be heard." Actor David Burke will play "Paul," the gay member of "The Crew." Cherry and Whooten previously wrote for "The Golden Girls," where they were responsible for creating another queer character, Blanche's gay brother. According to Whooten, homophobic organizations like the American Family Association (AFA) "came after us big time" over that portrayal. "They went after the advertisers. They did the whole thing," he said. Whooten and Cherry are determined to provide a cutting-edge character in "Paul," who will be given a social life. "He will absolutely at some point be dating," Whooten said. But, Cherry cautioned: "A lot of that is going to be dependent upon, you know, does the audience get the show? Do they like the show? The rule is that the more successful your show is, the more risks you can take." Early support for "The Crew" may be sent to: Marc Cherry and Jaime Whooten, "The Crew," c/o Fox Broadcasting, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213; copy to Chase Carey, Presiden t, Fox Broadcasting; at the same address; e-mail foxnet@delphi.com. Scott Thompson Plays Gay on The Larry Sanders Show "The Larry Sanders Show," has entered its fourth year on the Home Box Office (HBO) network. The cast was joined by a continuing gay character, played by the out gay actor, Scott Thompson (formerly of "Kids In The Hall"). Scott Thompson's appearance continues HBO's good record on lesbian and gay representation. Last year, the network made a positive contribution to lesbian visibility with "More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter," which portrayed the story of a high-school senior who comes out to herself and her parents, falls in love, and takes her girlfriend to the senior prom. This year, HBO's Sports Division hired Martina Navratilova as a Wimbledon commentator; such high-profile positions are rarely given to lesbian or gay athletes (unless they are closeted). And next year, in February, HBO will debut "The Celluloid Closet," a documentary film based on auth or/activist Vito Russo's seminal history of homosexuality in the movies. Supportive feedback can be sent to Home Box Office, HBO Building, 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Gay Character Comes Out on Day of Compassion The NBC soap opera "Another World" featured an HIV-positive and openly gay character, who was played by an HIV-positive and openly gay actor. Keith Christopher, who plays "Bruce," joined the series as part of the annual "Day of Compassion," during which all television networks are encouraged to devote "programming to AIDS awareness and people affected by HIV/AIDS." NBC has not yet decided if Bruce will added to the soap opera's cast of "regulars." According to Christopher, "viewer response will determine the fate of this character." Viewers can respond to: "Another World," 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016; Copy your correspondence to Warren Littlefield, President, NBC Entertainment, 3000 West Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA 91523; and the NBC Viewer Service s, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112. 2) Drag Graduation on MTV MTV's "News Unfiltered" is a new series that asks viewers to send in their own video news clips, eight to ten of which are then edited together to form half-hour shows. The final segment of this alternative news program struck a unique blow for queer visibility. The segment featured a 22-year-old man who was about to graduate from the University of Florida at Tampa. He debated whether he would participate in the pomp and circumstance, and was leaning against going to his commencement exercises. However, he changed his mind once he decided to make the experience more meaningful to him...by receiving his diploma in drag (complete with red bouffant). The "Unfiltered" news clip highlighted "Tweeka's" preparations as "the big day" finally arrived. Though the university official reading Tweeka's drag name from a 3x5 card was taken by surprise, the reaction on stage was generally appreciative. The new graduate came acros s clearly and proudly as a happy, cross-dressing, gay man. Send comments to Judy McGrath, President, MTV Networks Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; fax 212-258-8718; e-mail tvmail@aol.com; America OnLine (AOL) users can also post comments directly to AOL's MTV message area (keyword "MTV"). 3) Newsweek Discovers Bisexuals... Newsweek's July 17 cover story declares: "A new sexuality emerges...Now it's coming out in the open -- in pop culture, in cyberspace and on campus." Of course, bisexuality is hardly a "new sexuality." But it is news to much of the mainstream press and public. In that regard, this cover story is a particularly welcome (and long-overdue) contribution to bi visibility. Across seven, well-illustrated pages, Newsweek paints a fairly affirmative portrait of bisexual identities. Significantly, the authors manage to avoid much of the sex-negativity and "voyeuristic" style that has marred similar attempts. And while the article touches upon a broad range of subject s -- myths, history, media, sex, love -- not a single bigot was quoted for "balance." Newsweek's coverage is not perfect, of course. In contrast to the article's emphasis on bisexual identity, there is relatively little said, directly, about bisexual politics. The authors gloss over such concepts as "community" and "movement," though these are fundamental to the very "emergence" announced on the magazine's cover. Nevertheless, the article is still a groundbreaking achievement for a mainstream medium...especially one of this stature. Encourage Newsweek to continue providing fair, accurate and diverse coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender subjects; send comments to: Richard M. Smith, Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek, 251 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-1894; fax 212-445-4120; e-mail letters@newsweek.com. 4) The Essence of the Black Lesbian and Gay Religious Experience Essence Executive Editor and GLAAD Media Award winner Linda Villarosa has once again brought lesbian and gay i ssues to the readership of America's largest publication for Black women. Her article, entitled "Revelations" (Essence, September 1995), explores the role theology has played in promoting homophobia in the Black community. There has long been a diversity of opinion among African-Americans about what the Bible says about homosexuality. Unfortunately, too often the only point of view represented in the African-American press is fervently anti-lesbian and anti-gay. That is why GLAAD is so pleased to see Essence give Ms. Villarosa the opportunity to examine this issue from her perspective as a lesbian and a Christian. However, homophobes within some Black church communities have been quick to respond, deluging Essence with negative letters and subscription cancellations. Let Essence know that this article is the kind of insightful and inclusive coverage our community has come to expect from the publication. Encourage the magazine continue to feature articles that reflect the experiences of t he entire African-American community, including lesbians and gay men of faith. Contact: Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-chief, Essence, 1500 Broadway, 6th floor, New York, NY 10036, FAX: 212-921-173, E-mail: ESSENCEonline@nyo.com 5) New Gay Program Debuts on VH1 The Wall Street Journal reported that Tanqueray Vodka and Pierre Cardin "have signed on to sponsor the television show 'Freestyles,' hosted by Amanda Bearse, the openly lesbian actress from the 'Married . . . With Children' TV series...The paid program will run on cable channel VH-1 with features that appeal to both gay women and gay men." 'Freestyles' premiered on July 16 and 17. VH-1 even placed an ad for the program in TV Guide. Contact: Viewer Services, VH-1, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. 6) Hooray for Movieline... The July '95 Movieline (a mainstream movie magazine) includes lesbian photographs, a review of newly-published books on lesbian/gay/bisexual cinema, AND a cover story on Drew Barrymore, in which the young ac tress is asked about -- and discusses -- her non-platonic relationships with women. "The Look" section of Movieline features photographs of Julie Cypher hanging out with girlfriend Melissa Etheridge, as well as Ingrid Casares and Madonna kissing. Without fanfare, Movieline gives its readers what they want: out and proud lesbian and gay entertainers. In "True Drew", the cover story on rising star Drew Barrymore, writer Stephen Rebello doesn't shy away from Drew's relationships with women; he inquires if her relationships ever go beyond being platonic. She says, yes and further, Drew argues for the fluidity of sexuality and the naturalness of homosexual relationships. If it "tastes good," it's OK with Drew. Joe Queenan searches high and low for the best guide to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender cinema in his feature " The Gay`90s." Queenan reviews four newly published books on what's hot and what's not on the lavender screen. Movieline shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transg ender people are everywhere in entertainment, and that Movieline is savvy enough to acknowledge it. Contact Movieline and let them know we appreciate their continuing efforts to casually include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender content in their pages. Write to: Heidi Parker, Senior Editor, 1141 South Beverly Drive, Los Angeles , CA 90035; fax (310) 282-0859. 7) "Families Today" on Target T. Berry Brazelton's syndicated advice column, "Families Today," received a letter which read, "I recently saw an article stating that playing with dolls may be an early indication of homosexuality among young boys...I feel that (my 2-year-old son's) sweet nurturing will make him a good father, and that's what I tell busybodies who make disparaging remarks about his interest in dolls." Brazelton replied: "I agree entirely. Learning to nurture dolls...is not sex-linked, nor is it an indication of homosexuality." Significantly, Brazelton went on to say (as the reader did not) that: "It is a sym ptom of our homophobic society that we dare not encourage gentleness and nurturing behavior in young males." Such a statement is certain to raise homophobic hackles, especially since it appears in a column devoted to a subject fundamentalists think they own -- "Families Today." Send your supportive comments to: Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, c/o New York Times Syndicate, 122 E. 42nd St., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10168, fax 212-499-3382. 8) Vanity Un-Fair Actor Keanu Reeves is the subject of Vanity Fair's August 1995 cover story ("The Wild One: Keanu Reeves on Sex, Hollywood and Life on the Run"). Written by Michael Shnayerson, this feature is standard fare -- a typical mix of doting biography ("Like every strong, athletic boy in Canada, Keanu learned to adore ice hockey") and pop psychoanalysis ("Answering earnestness with earnestness, I wonder aloud if there isn't in Keanu some central struggle between discipline and nihilism . . . ."). The Vanity Fair feature is unique in one respect, how ever. At one point in the article, the "sexually enigmatic" Reeves offers some relatively direct answers to questions about his sexual orientation (i.e., he's straight). Shnayerson hyped this angle on the daily television show "Entertainment Tonight" ("ET"). That broadcast left much to be desired. The "ET" segment opened with a derogatory teaser, which announced that Keanu Reeves was "finally coming clean about some dirty Hollywood rumors." During the show, a misleading newspaper headline -- "Keanu Blasts Back At Gay Slur" -- was displayed without comment. Finally, "ET" host John Tesh concluded the spot on a note of homophobic hope; the heterosexual love scenes in Reeves' two new films, Tesh said, "should help dispel the gay rumors." In the Vanity Fair interview, Reeves makes a point of insisting that he does NOT resent the rumors about his sexuality because "there is nothing wrong with being gay." For Reeves, such rumors are neither "dirty" nor "slurs." But "ET" never got around to mentioning this aspect of the story; the segment was only interested in DISPELLING homosexuality, not DISCUSSING it. When a young actor wants to talk about NOT BEING A HOMOSEXUAL, it's big news. But if he wants to talk about NOT BEING A HOMOPHOBE, the media aren't interested. Comments can be sent to Michael Shnayerson, Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair, 350 Madison Avenue, New York 10017, e-mail vfair@aol.com; "Entertainment Tonight," 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038; fax 213-956-4954. 9) Heads Up for The New York Times Reporters at The New York Times are still using some antiquated and misleading language. In a July 5th article, Katharine Q. Seelye writes: "Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who has vigorously fought homosexual rights, wants to reduce the amount of federal money spent on AIDS..." What are "HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS?" In fact, there are no such things; Helms opposes basic CIVIL RIGHTS for lesbians and gays (e.g., nondiscrimination in housing, employment and health care). To en courage precision journalism at The Times, contact: Joseph Lelyveld, Executive Editor, The New York Times, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036; fax 212-556-3690. 10) Major Advances in GLAAD's Computers & Cyberspace Connections With the ongoing support of Tom Rielly and Karen Wickre of Digital Queers GLAAD has made major inroads on the Infohighway. Thanks to a matching grant and DQ technical support we have outfitted our national offices with PowerMac computers, highspeed printers and networking capabilities. GLAAD will now be much more efficient and responsive when dealing with computer-based projects. We can also send staffers out on the road with computers to improve their productivity. We are still finalizing and ironing out some kinks in our systems, but by fall we should be really ready to go in our mobilization for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of our community. The next phase of this project is also being activated by board member Lesli Klainberg, who has sheph erded the computer project along from its inception. This very vital and exciting next step is the process of bringing the Chapters on-line with computer systems of their own. One of the most important advances we have made over the summer is the establishment of the GLAAD InterNetwork (see "Plug Into the GLAAD InterNetwork"), an interactive e-mail network and Activation Tree, operating out of the LA office under the direction of Loren Javier. We are also stepping out onto the World Wide Web (http://www.datalounge.com/glaad) GLAAD wants to extend its thanks to the many volunteers who have helped us (and continue to help us) along in this project. There have been several highly knowledgeable experts who have donated their time and talents in getting us up and running at breakneck speed. We especially want to thank Tom Rielly and Karen Wickre at Digital Queers in San Francisco, Eric Weingartner of Altura Systems Integration, Scott, and our resident volunteers in LA, Charlie Zweig, Bob Lafon t, Bob Eicholz, Tim Owen, Brooks Graham and Phil Kinkade and in NY, Jim Held and Maria. We are seeking additional help from across the country and we encourage those of you who can volunteer advice and assistance to contact Morgan Gwenwald in the NY National office (glaadny@aol.com). You may reach Digital Queers at Digiqueers@aol.com or info@dq.org. Thanks to our Cyberspace Volunteers We would like to thank the following volunteers for helping us become a more "Technocorrect" organization: Tony Travostino and all the people at Mediapolis who have been maintaining our World Wide Web Site (http://www.datalounge.com/glaad) Maria Valentine, Ron Buckmire and David Casti, who are helping us to streamline the GLAAD InterNetwork and for registering the GLAAD.ORG domain. "Jimbo" and Candy Flagg, who have worked to create a GLAAD presence on Prodigy. Our Prodigy ID is XZAM87A. Also, a special thanks go to Charlie Zweig, who has served as an Internet guru and who has been up keeping our local B BS for us. Plug into the GLAAD InterNetwork! Recognizing the Internet as a powerful grassroots tool, we have recently started the GLAAD InterNetwork. As part of the InterNetwork, you will receive all our latest Activations, Alerts and FYIs as they come out, so that you can respond in the quickest way possible. You can also help us get our work done by sending the GLAAD information to everyone you know. You could even serve as a Cyberspace LookOUT, monitoring the local media and informing us of any defamation. We can even connect you with people who are doing GLAAD work in your area. Get plugged into the greater GLAAD network by becoming part of the GLAAD InterNetwork! To join, just send a note to GLAADNATL@aol.com, using "GLAAD InterNetwork" as the subject. In the text, include your name, postal and e-mail addresses and any local newspapers, TV or radio stations that you currently monitor. eMedia Watch GLAAD proudly announces the launch of eMedia Watch, a column to be transmitted regularly via the Internet. The move was made in response to GLAAD's ever growing on-line role. "The Internet has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in GLAAD's communication with people across the country," said GLAAD Managing Director William Waybourn, "The eMedia Watch column will be the best way to inform our members to inspire them to help us achieve our mission." GLAAD is currently accepting submissions for the eMedia Watch column and encourages entries from all over the country. Any one may send materials to GLAADNATL@aol.com. 11) Online Resources "Exploiting Media Opportunities: How To Make Sure Lavender News Is Black and White and Read All Over" is an instructional pamphlet available on the World Wide Web (http://rt66.com/summers/media.html). The text "focuses on organizing press conferences to secure media coverage on local lesbian and gay news stories." The Youth Assistance Organization (YAO) promotes the positive uses of online media for lesbian, gay and bisex ual teens. Through YAO, queer or questioning youth can participate in e-mail counseling (help@youth.org) and access a World Wide Web page (http://www.youth.org/). A new web-site devoted to Ru Paul provides biographical, video and audio clips of the singer (http://www.webcom.com/~sdp3/rupaul.html). The White House is also on the web-friendly (http://www.whitehouse.gov). The "Online Transgender Resource Guide" (http:''www.zoom.com:80/cds.pub/) features news, community resources, personals, and much more; -mail inquiries to (comments@cdspub.com). The campaign to get a lesbian or gay character on "Star Trek: Voyager" has established a web address (http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek); you may also write: Voyager Visibility Project, 1377 Fulton St., Ste. 3, San Francisco, CA 94117. !OutProud!, the National Coalition of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth at (http://www.brewersguild.com/outproud/) Carol Mortimer posts a weekly listing for gay TV content -- kind of like a gay TV Guide. She has a we bsite at (http:/pages.prodigy.com/NJ/Carol-mortimer/gay-TV-menu.html.). Children's Animated Television, a progressive non-profit that produces educational videos for children and teens on social issues, has a GLB teen advisor page at the WWW site (http://www/.usa/.com/-furball). 12) Gingrich Attacks Online Censorship Bill Speaker Newt Gingrich has bluntly attacked a proposed law aimed at blocking obscenity on the Internet, surprising some religious groups as well as the Republican-controlled Senate, which approved the measure last week. "It is clearly a violation of free speech and it's a violation of the right of adults to communicate with each other," Mr. Gingrich said on a cable television program which he hosts. "I don't agree with it and I don't think it is a serious way to discuss a serious issue, which is, how do you maintain the right of free speech for adults while also protecting children in a medium which is available to both?" Declaring that the new Senate bill was "very bad ly thought out and not very productive," Mr. Gingrich aligned himself with civil liberties groups, which have opposed efforts to regulate computer communication. The House is taking a much less restrictive approach with a narrower scope and hopes to prepare a bill to make it easier for commercial online services to regulate the material they make available. 13) "SurfWatch" and Censoring On-line media have become the latest targets of censorship campaigns around the world. In response, various "self-censorship" programs are being developed by computer software companies. Though touted as solutions to the censorship problem, these programs raise troubling concerns for the lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities. SurfWatch Software, Inc. recently released "SurfWatch," a new product that the company describes as a "breakthrough." According to the manufacturers, SurfWatch "helps you deal with the flood of sexually explicit material on the Internet. By helping you to be responsible for bloc king what is being received at any individual computer, children and others using your computer have less chance of accidentally or deliberately being exposed to unwanted material." To accomplish the program's objective, SurfWatch utilizes a database of newsgroups, World Wide Web pages, and other on-line sources that the company deems "objectionable." Significantly, on-line activist Christopher Kryzan reports that this list of censored sites had included many that "clearly do not contain sexually explicit materials, but rather provide information, education, resources and calendars of events." Among the blocked information services were those provided by the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs, the Queer Resources Directory, the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Association of the University of California at Berkeley, and the Maine Gay Network. Following a flood of complaints, the company announced that these sites will NOT be blocked in the next release of SurfWatch. Kryzan reports that, "SurfWatch has also decided to put together an advisory board to assist in the review of sites, and has committed to include members of the queer community on this board." He added: "This is a very positive step, I believe. We will be working with them to identify key individuals who are savvy with issues of queer youth online to assist in this role." Share comments and concerns with: SurfWatch Software, Inc., 105 Fremont Ave., Suite F, Los Altos, CA 94022; fax 415-948-9577; e-mail info@surfwatch.com; Chris Kryzan, Executive Director, OutProud: The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Youth, P.O. Box 24589, San Jose, CA 95154-4589, e-mail kryzan@outproud.org. GLAAD's National e-mail Address GLAAD now has a national e-mail address: GLAADNATL@aol.com. If you have any questions, information, want to join the e-mail activation list, or want membership information, please write us! 14) Letterman Slips A recent broadcast of "Late Night with David Letterman," the theme fo r Dave's popular "Top 10" list was "Ways to discourage your teen from smoking cigarettes." Letterman's number 2 reason was: "Tell them they'll end up like the fruity ass bastard in the Montclair ad." Contact: Rosemary Keenan, Publicist, "Late Night with David Letterman," 1697 Broadway, New York 10019; e-mail lateshow@pipeline.com; copy to: Peter Tortorici, President, CBS Entertainment, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. 15) GLAAD NAMES WILLIAM WAYBOURN AS MANAGING DIRECTOR The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has appointed William Wayboun as its new managing director. Waybourn is a well-known national activist and former newspaper editor and served as executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political action committee. "In this, the tenth anniversary year of GLAAD, we are fortunate to have someone with William's grassroots and media experience to solidify GLAAD's role as our community's media watchdog," said GLAAD co-chair Will Halm of Los Ang eles. Additionally, William will provide us with an opportunity to enhance GLAAD's role as a pro-active organization and advance our community's image," Halm added. "Our search for a new leader focused on finding the individual who could best bring together GLAAD's national offices, chapters, staff and volunteers after our merger last year into a single organization," commented New York co-chair Peggy Brady. "We were impressed with William's skills on an organizational level, as he has considerable experience with networking and making coalitions function effectively," Brady said. "His media background will serve him well as GLAAD's chief executive and we are excited by his vision to strengthen GLAAD's infrastructure," Brady and Halm said in a joint statement. "We were impressed with his determination to take GLAAD to a new level of involvement," they said. Waybourn succeeds Ellen Carton, who was acting executive director of GLAAD. The national offices will remain in Los Angeles and Ne w York and staff will continue to be located in various cities, including the field office in Portland. All aspects of the operation will report to Waybourn. GLAAD maintains chapter operations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, DC. In addition, GLAAD is initiating or has chapters or outposts in 25 other cities across the US. "I am excited at the possibilities of working side by side with GLAAD's members from around the country as we dispel the stereotypical representations of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals," Waybourn said. "GLAAD has built an impressive grassroots framework to educate the public about the important roles gays and lesbians play in our society, and I look forward to expanding that network and bridging new alliances as the crucial next phase of GLAAD's development," Wayboum said. "We plan to move aggressively to counteract the impression most Americans have of our lives and show the true diversity of our commu nity, " Wayboun said. Wayboun leaves the Victory Fund after having founded the organization four years ago and turning it into the nation's largest gay and lesbian political action committee and the 15th largest independent PAC in the nation. Under Waybourn, the Victory Fund has distributed more than $l million to recommended candidates and has succeeded in more than tripling the number of openly lesbian and gay elected and appointed officials. He served as a daily newspaper editor for ten years and has extensive experience in media relations, public affairs, association management and marketing. He is the past president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance and was instrumental in founding various organizations, including the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Community Center; the nation's first lesbian and gay credit union and credit card; an AIDS research clinic; a food pantry; and a young adults' group. In addition, he has served on numerous boards and commissions and has been active in gay an d lesbian and AIDS-related work since 1979. 16) Bisexual Caucus GLAAD did outreach to Bisexual volunteers at the first NYC Bisexual Orientation and has formed a new GLAAD Bisexual Caucus. Following an onslaught of media attention, the goal of this Caucus will be to organize a GLAAD Media Training for Bisexual community leaders and a Bisexual community forum. The Caucus will also help GLAAD expand our Media Monitoring efforts to better fulfill our mission to promote fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. 17) NYC's Pride Rally Volunteers braved sweltering heat make GLAAD visible at NYC's Pride Rally, The Lesbian & Gay Community Center's Garden Party and along the Pride Parade route. At the Rally and Garden Party, GLAAD sold Polaroid Family Portraits as a tie-in to promote GLAAD's new IMAGES campaign celebrating Lesbian & Gay families. The GLAAD float in the Parade was a billboard size version of the campaign. The billboard truck, from the national company Billboards In Motion, carried the message of "FAMILY. IT'S ALL RELATIVE," along the highway from Baltimore, Maryland to NYC to Tampa, Florida! 18) "Lesbian Central" Starts Third Year "Lesbian Central", "The world's first lesbian TV talk show," is cablecast biweekly on Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) in New York City. The half-hour show, sponsored by GLAAD since its inception two years ago, supports and encourages lesbian visibility and self-definition by inviting artists, entertainers, and media people form our diverse community to speak for themselves. Recent guests have included film/videomakers Catherine Saalfield, Desireena Almoradie, and Barbara Hammer; writers Jacqueline Woodson, Donna Allegra, and Clarissa Macaya; editors Linda Villarosa and Carole DeSanti; musicians Jacque DuPree and Rhythm Express; "In the Life" producer-host and Big Apple Circus "c lown doctor" Katherine Linton; and the Sirens Motorcycle Club. Gifted composer-performer Zenobia hosts the show. Lesbian Central is also an ongoing grassroots training project, offering valuable skills and hands-on experience to revolving groups of volunteers. A grant from MNN provided initial training and Executive Producer Jeanne Laberge continues to take maximum advantage of the public access station's production facilities as GLAAD seeks funding to acquire additional in-house equipment. In its third year, Lesbian Central will expand to public access channels in the outer boroughs of New York City. It will also be cablecast in GLAAD Chapter areas, with local members acting as liaisons. Most importantly, LC will be a resource in the National Field Office campaign to encourage and facilitate local Chapter involvement in the vital medium of public access cable television (PACTV). The show, and our experiences in creating and producing it as a low-budget, all-volunteer training project , can be used as a model by GLAAD Chapters interested in originating programming for their local PACTV stations. For more information please contact Donna Red Wing at the National Field Office or Jeanne Laberge at New York headquarters. Anyone with access to video equipment or funding: your help is urgently needed. Also, Morgan Gwenwald, GLAAD's Archivist, and the women of LC would appreciate hearing from anyone with knowledge/examples of current or past lesbian-made TV programming, anywhere in the world. 19) From the Field by Donna Red Wing National Field Director The National Field Office began the summer by promoting the NFO Administrator, Thom Kincheloe, to a full time position. This allows the Field Office to be open and staffed five days a week, from 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. We now have 37 cities and towns officially signed up as Outposts and Lookouts, with at least fifty more engaged in the process to become officially connected to GLAAD. Loren Javier, o f our LA headquarters office, has become our official cyberspace organizer and has identified and signed on more than 240 GLAAD Internetworkers; individuals who are willing to monitor and respond to the media in their locale. We are getting postings from Canada, Amsterdam, Costa Rica and locations all over the United States. The GLAAD Field is growing at a tremendous clip thanks to the hard work of Thom and Loren and the extraordinary dedication of our media monitors. GLAAD's participation in the Freedom to Marry Coalition was given a real boost when the city of West Hollywood signed on to the project. We also held an LA reception for one of the Hawaii couples, Genora Dancel and Ninia Baehr. The Field Office is encouraging couples from around the country, who want to be "spokes-couples" for the project, to sign on with Donald Suggs (212.807.1700) for training and media opportunities. GLAAD held its first couples training in Los Angeles, a project that will be replicated throughout the Field. The training was designed to give couples the tools and the skills they need to become articulate and effective spokes-couples for the Freedom to Marry Project. The pilot was a real success, with couples learning the nuts and bolts of managing interviews and of working together in tough media situations. They learned a lot about the media and we, as facilitators, were reminded of the absolute miracle of our relationships. Two more Media 101 trainings were presented; to groups in Los Angeles and to progressive groups, representing eight states, at the Western States Training Institute in Portland, Oregon. Media 101 has become a real cornerstone of our Field Trainings, a practical and valuable tool for any organization within our community of activists, advocates and allies. We are already booking Media 101 for 1996. The National Field Office will present the first Chapter Institute in September, prior to the National Board meeting in Los Angeles. We are working with chapters and o utlets to identify key training areas for the Institute. GLAAD staff and trainers will spend a full day with chapter and outlet reps, working on specific issues and strategies. For more information about the Chapter Institute, please call the National Field Office. Louis Eugene Cooper, the NFO summer intern, has been of great assistance developing our Dispatch-Bulletin each month. He has also created a grants booklet for chapters and outlets, designed and implemented an outreach to more than 400 venues in targeted cities and worked on an analysis of the media covering the 1992 and 1994 Oregon anti-gay initiative campaigns with projections for the upcoming 1996 campaigns. He also visited our Los Angeles headquarters office. There, he saw the Pacific ocean for the first time, put his hands in Dr. Spock's handprints at Mann's Chinese Theater and enjoyed the clubs, restaurants and bookstores on Santa Monica Boulevard. Louis returns to an up and running GLAAD/Tuscaloosa media project, the GA LA group and his work on the school newspaper. Upcoming Field work includes organizing, trainings and keynotes in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Houston, Northampton, Boston, Dallas, Portland, Seattle, Detroit and Salem. GLAAD members from those areas should contact the National Field Office for dates and more information. We'd love to connect with our GLAAD family in those locales. GLAAD Start-Up Kits are available from the National Field Office. If you would like to explore creating a GLAAD presence in your area, call Thom Kincheloe, at 503.224.5285. We'll send you the information you need to become a GLAAD media activist. 20) Calendar NEW YORK: Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are held at the GLAAD office, 150 West 26th Street, Suite #503, between 6th & 7th Avenues. Call: (212) 807.1700 to confirm meeting dates and times. Office Volunteer Nights: weekly, Thursdays, 5:30-8:30pm MediaWatch Committee: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 6:30pm Membership Committee: bi-weekly Mondays, 6:30pm, Septembe r 4 & 18 GLAAD Orientations: monthly, 1st Wed. of the month at 8pm, The L&G Community Services Center, 208 West 13th Street Bisexual Caucus: monthly, 2nd Mondays, 7pm Lesbian Central Shoot Dates: 4th Saturdays, 5-8pm Lesbian Central Production Meetings & Airdates: Please call 212.807.1700 for confirmed dates and times. LIFT Meetings/Events: September 27th & October 11th at 7pm, The Poets House, 72 Spring Street, 2nd Floor Speaker's Bureau: monthly, last Wed. of the month, 6:30pm, September 27 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. September 11 M Outspoken @ 7:30 PM is a offered by GLAAD and The Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center. It acts as a training ground for individuals wishing to become more effective and proficient speakers. Meeting twice a month, Outspoken will educate those in attendance on LGB issues, and effective speaking. Individuals may eventually become part of GLAAD's Speakers 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, call (213) 993-7400 ext. 180. September 12 Tu GLAAD's Los Angeles Council meets @ 7:00 PM. September 14 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. September 21 Th Media Watch & Media Outreach meets @ 7:30 PM. Monitor television, film, radio and print with Media Watch. This groups is essentially the backbone of GLAAD. The group drafts letters conducts research, and produces articles for our monthly newsletter. For the immediate future, Media Outreach is meeting simultaneously with Media Watch. The responsibility of the Media Outreach Committee is to meet with professionals in the news media on an o n-going basis to and to help Media Watch determine long-range strategies. September 25 M Outspoken meets again (see September 11) @ 7:30 PM at the Center. September 28 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. October 2 M Women of GLAAD meets again (see September 4) @ 7:00 PM. October 4 W Community Outreach meets again (see September 6) @ 7:30 PM. October 5 Th Media Watch and Media Outreach meets again (see September 7) @ 7:30 PM. 21) GLAAD Central Illinois Report by David Bentlin On a local level, GLAAD maintains a central Illinois LookOut Post in Bloomington/Normal. We monitor the local media to ensure that our communities are being portrayed in a fair and accurate light. We don't fight for censorship--we strive for equality. One example of our local work occurred last summer when The Pantagraph and The Peoria Journal Star decided not to run the syndicated "Doonesbury" strip for a week because of its controversial content. The series of strips addressed the recent book by John Boswell, a Harvard professor who contended that same sex marriages were common in medieval Europe and were blessed by the Catholic Church. Both papers reasoned that artist Garry Trudeau stepped over the line and that they could not run the strip because it might affront members of the Catholic faith. GLAAD/Chicago and the GLAAD/Central Illinois LookOut joined others in the community who formally protested the decision by the dailies, the only two papers in the country to pull the strip. In the end, Pantagraph Executive Editor Fred Kardon reflected on the decision and hinted in his column that the editorial staff may have erred in its actions. Illinois TV Stations WILL and WTYP were among those who chose not to air a documentary "Coming Out Under Fire," a film about the service of gay men and lesbians during World War II. We were especially disappointed with WILL, a station with an history of airing many gay-positive programs (Tales of the City, Out in America, Before Stonewall). Gays, lesbians and bisexuals are almost invisible in local newspapers and onnetwork affiliates, so many of us depended on WILL and WTVP for positive and insightful programming. What can be done? Well, we at GLAAD feel that there is power in the pen. If enough concerned gays and lesbians write to remind WILL and WTVP that PBS was created to serve the needs of the entire population and not only straight people, the affiliates might reconsider their plans. October is Gay and Lesbian History Month, so that would be a prime time for them to air "Coming Out Under Fire." Let WTVP and WILL know how you feel about their decision not to air "Coming Out Under Fire." The addresses are Linda Miller, Program Director, WTVP-TV, 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625-9989; Elaine Sprenkle, Program Director, WILL-TV, 1110 W. Main Street, Urbana, IL 61801. 22) Reach Out and Touch Someone AT&T is "the Devil," because it "helps gays and lesbians," alleges Carl Thompson, who explains he co-founded his long-distance telephone service, Lifelines, with Jesus Christ. Based in Oklahoma City, the company, which brings in $6 million each month, donates 20% of its profits to "conquer the world in the name of Jesus." 23) News From GLAAD San Diego... NO WORD YET ON UNION-TRIBUNE PERSONALS ADS We still have no response after more than two months. GLAAD and PFLAG representatives met with San Diego Union-Tribune officials to discuss its policies which acknowledge lesbian and gay relationships in the obituary section but not in the relationship advertising Possibilities section or the Celebrations wedding section. The Sales and Marketing Director has not taken action or told us if a decision has been made. GLAAD San Diego collected over 600 signatures asking that Men Seeking Men and Women Seeking Women categories be added to Possibilities, and forwarded these, along with approximately fifty more gathered at two recent PFLAG meetings. Still, no response. Write to Mack Quintana, Director of Sales and Marketing, SDUT, P.O. Box 191, San Diego, CA 92112, or better yet, circulate a copy of the petition contained in this newsletter and send it to GLAAD. 24) We Were Wrong Our last newsletter contained a reference to Tanqueray's support of the AIDS Ride. We incorrectly reported that Tanqueray sought coverage only for its AIDS support, and not its work in the gay and lesbian community. Tanqueray has, in fact, taken the unprecedented step of developing ads for mainstream publications in which its icon character, Mr. Jenkins, appears in a gay bar. Further, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center recognizes the courage that Tanqueray showed by supporting an event (the California AIDS Ride) that was started by a gay and lesbian organization, including enhancing the lesbian and gay angle as an integral part of its underwriting endeavors. GLAAD is pleased to correct the record. 25) Making Our Work Possible GLAAD gratefully acknowledges the following , whose generosity in July made our work would be impossible. We appreciate your support and interest. John Butkovich and James Abbott Randi Carrey and Eric Mintz Don Cavanaugh Jack Drescher Mark Dressner, MD and Matthew Davis, MD Dean Feldman Robert S. Fennell, III Howard Gottlieb Teresa Hommel Frank Jackman John LeBedda Charles Lockwood Henry Messer Demian Montgomery Frank Romano Jeff Rose Will Sandy David Skovron Andrew Rakos Carl Jacobs Douglas Dudgeon Dr. Stuart Grayson Camile Argus Robert Alan Cohen Mason Funk CJ and Claire Hormann Peter S. Julian and Miguel A. Zuniga Paul Nodzak James Pentecost Chris Smith Dr. Bernard Suster Taylored Art Thomas Caisango Leisure Time Entertainment CBS Foundation, Inc Edward F. Prinz III Bequest 26) Imperial Court of NY Honors GLAAD This summer GLAAD was the recipient of $7,500 from the Imperial Court of New York. Th is gift was generated at the Court's yearly extravaganza and fund-raiser, "The Night of a Thousand Gowns." GLAAD gratefully acknowledges this gift and recognition from our friends at The Imperial Court. 27) GLAAD Images GLAAD's latest campaign poster celebrating lesbian, gay and bisexual couples and families may be purchased for only $10.00. It will warm your happy home, featuring couples and families from around the country. You may send your check or money order to either GLAAD office, or call us directly at (213) 658-6775 (LA) or (212) 807-1700 (NY) to order by phone. For information on sponsoring Images and bringing this pro-gay, pro-family message to your city, please call Cathay Che in New York at (212) 807-1700. GLAAD Reports is a Publication of GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation 8455 Beverly Blvd., #305 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (213) 658-6775 150 W. 26th St., #503 New York, NY 10001 (212) 807-1700 1130 Southwest Morrison, #415 Portland, OR 97205 (503) 224-5285 1 875 Connecticut Ave. NW, #640 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-1360 email: GLAADNATL@AOL.COM All material appearing in GLAAD Reports is protected by federal copyright law and may not be produced in whole or in part without the permission of GLAAD. GLAAD c 1995 All rights reserved. National Board Members Co-Chairs Peggy Brady*, New York Will Halm*, Los Angeles Vice-Chair Jeanie K. Keeny*, Kansas City, MO Treasurer David Huebner*, Los Angeles Secretary Jeffrey Sosnick*, New York Directors Robert M. Browne, New York Ken Bukowski, San Francisco Ann Mei Chang, San Francisco Carmen Chavez, Washington, DC Charles Ching, New York Philip L. Deitch, St. Louis Gene Falk, New York David Ivers, Little Rock Michael B. Keegan, Los Angeles Lesli Klainberg, Los Angeles Mary T. Nealon*, New York Laurie Rhodes, New York Jack Sansolo, Los Angeles Tina McKinley Treadwell, Los Angeles Steven J. Weissman*, Los Angeles Robert Witeck, Washington, DC *Executive Committee Members Washington Office: Managing Director William Waybourn Administrative Assistant Craig Benson National Field Office - Portland, OR National Field Director Donna Red Wing Adminstrative Assistant Thomas Kincheloe Los Angeles Office: Internet Coordinator Loren Javier Program Coordinator Robert Nowland New York Office: Associate Director Donald Suggs National Project Coordinator Morgan Gwenwald Program Coordinator Cathay Che