Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 16:08:57 -0700 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Subject: GLAADAlert 07.15.96 GLAADALERT July 15, 1996 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation PARTNERSHIP AGREES TO RE-EDIT HOMOPHOBIC ANTI-DRUG AD Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) recently issued ten public service announcements (PSA's) as part of its campaign to end heroin use. One of the ten television PSA's, which was distributed to the nation's top 50 media markets, suggested that drug use ultimately leads to sex with men, which was portrayed as a social ill more severe than drug use. GLAAD asked PDFA to recall the ad, but in a terse response, PDFA refused. GLAAD was concerned that the ad had the potential to exacerbate higher-than-average risks gay and lesbian youth face for substance abuse and suicide by implying that being gay is worse than being addicted to heroin. GLAAD agreed with the aims of the campaign but would not support it so long as one of the spots contained an anti-gay message. Due to an effective media campaign mounted by GLAAD and the community response it generated, PDFA has reconsidered its position and has decided to re-edit their PSA to delete references that were offensive to lesbians and gay men. "Our goal remains crystal clear: keeping kids off drugs," said Richard D. Bonnette, PDFA president and CEO. "If that mission is clouded by a perception of offense, however unintended, it may dilute - or interfere with - our basic message." Contact: Richard D Bonnette, President, Partnership for a Drug Free America, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10174, 212.973.3500. GAY IN THE REAL WORLD After a year of no gay men or lesbian in their London edition, MTV's hit documentary series The Real World comes back to the United States (this time Miami, Florida) and throws a gay man into the mix. This year's installment presents Dan, a 21 year old Kansas who is described as "passionate about the challenges his generation faces, Dan is involved in many causes, including world economics, gay rights, and environmental studies. In Miami, he becomes a model, facing a new challenge when his new boyfriend reveals he's still 'in the closet.'" The Real World has been known for its gay players, including Norman Korpi (New York), Beth Anthony (Los Angeles) and Pedro Zamora (San Francisco), who brought the MTV generation a little closer to the gay and lesbian community. Please thank the creators of The Real World for being inclusive of the gay and lesbian community in their show. Contact: Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, Bunim-Murray Productions, Inc., 6007 Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91411, phone: 818.756.5150, fax: 818.756.5140, e-mail: feedback@mtv.com PARENTING FOR GAY MEN AND LESBIANS, TOO The May issue of Sacramento Sierra Parent included a great article by Barb Chandler on her gay child ("My Child Is Gay") and how a parent can come to accept a child's homosexuality. Sierra Parent is a magazine that deals with parenting issues and has often taken a route as conservative as the city in which it is distributed. The story was met with much anger by some outspoken readers, including the state director of the American Family Association, a Christian psychiatrist and others, claiming that homosexuality is a sin and chiding the magazine for printing the article in the first place. Please let the editor of Sierra Parent know how much you appreciated the article. Encourage them to run more articles like this in future issues. Contact: Shelly Brokman Elia, Editor, Sacramento Sierra Parent, 457 Grass Valley Highway, Suite 5, Auburn, CA 95603. NARROW IN NAPA "Gay Parade Experience Not Best" exclaimed Jim Brumm's column in the July 5th issue of The Napa Valley Register. Why? Brumm and his two sons headed into San Francisco to drop off a Napa tourist publication at the city's Conference and Visitor's Bureau and ended up in the middle of the 26th annual San Francisco Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade. He describes his "terrifying ordeal" as he and his sons were taunted by men on "wearing leather G-string panties, leather hats and nothing else." The experience made him think about the mounting campaign for the freedom to marry in the gay and lesbian community saying, "They speak of commitment and monogamy. They speak of adopting children. They speak of family. I have a family, Nothing I saw in that parade had anything to do with family. The thought of any of the men I saw in that parade being allowed to adopt children is scary." However, he does acknowledge that he knows of the diversity of the gay and lesbian community when he writes, "I realize that not all homosexuals act like that. I know that what I saw Sunday can't be taken to represent an entire group. I know I saw only a tiny portion of the parade. And I realize that nobody made me go there." Please let Jim Brumm know that the Pride Parade is a diverse celebration that is not unlike Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Also, assure him that had he stayed longer, he would have seen other segments of the gay and lesbian community, including gay and lesbian parents, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and others that make up our community. Contact: Jim Brumm, Napa Valley Register, P.O. Box 150, Napa, CA 94559, phone: 707.226.2547, fax: 707.224.3963 MISTIC IS NOT MYSTIC Mistic brand beverages has launched an advertising campaign that is inclusive of lesbians. The ad features a woman talking to her parents. She tells her parents, " "Mom, Dad, I've finally met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with." She then happily proclaims, "This is Jen," as the camera pans back to reveal another woman. The ad then ends with "Mistic: Show Your Colors." While Ikea and Clothestime have broken ground in featuring the lesbian and gay community in their advertising campaigns, lesbians and gay men have virtually been invisible in broadcast advertising. Please thank Mistic Brands, Inc. for including lesbians in their commercial and encourage them to produce more. Contact: Ernie Cavallo, President, Mistic Brands, Inc., 709 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY 10694, phone: 914.397.9200 CHAREN RIDES AGAIN Mona Charen is on her high horse again. While not as biting as her incredibly false comparison between homosexuality and pedophilia last month, Charen uses her syndicated column to once again attack the fight for same gender marriage. She decides to pick apart the resolution on the Equal Marriage Rights Home Page on the World Wide Web, which reads, "Because marriage is a basic human right and individual personal choice, RESOLVED, the State should not interfere with same-gender couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of civil marriage." She starts by saying "marriage is not a basic human right." She insists that marriage is not about the couple, but about the children that are supposed to be weaned from such a relationship. She also says the state doesn't interfere with gay and lesbian relationships when she writes, "Marriage is something the state confers because it wants to reward certain kinds of behavior . Marriage between men and women, tested over centuries, has been judged to promote a healthy society." She never quite realizes that this marriage between men and women are the ONLY marriages that have been tested over centuries. She then writes, "Homosexual unions do not advance the interest of the larger society. They do not result in the birth of children." Yet, she goes on to opine that gay men and lesbians raising children would be wrong. Please write Mona Charen and let her know how you feel about the freedom to marry. Contact: Mona Charen, Creators Syndicate, 5777 West Century Boulevard, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD is the Lesbian and Gay News Bureau and the only national Lesbian and Gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. Copies of articles referred to in the GLAADAlert are available to our members by contacting GLAAD. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 213.658.6775 (Los Angeles), 212.807.1700 (New York), 413.586.8928 (Northampton), 503.224.5285 (Portland, Oregon), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC) or 415.861.2244(San Francisco). Visit GLAAD's Web Site at http://www.glaad.org "GLAADAlert," "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org VISIT THE GLAAD WEB SITE AT http://www.glaad.org! GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.