Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 17:41:27 -0700 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Subject: GLAADAlert 07.22.96 GLAADALERT July 22, 1996 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation IN MEMORIUM On July 15th, Trans World Airlines Flight 800 met a tragic end when it exploded over the New York coastline. One of the victims of the fatal accident was 47-year-old Jed Johnson, an openly gay interior decorator from New York who, with his life partner architect Alan Wanzenberg, designed the homes of such celebrities as Richard Gere, Mick Jagger and Andy Worhol. Mr. Johnson made many friends during the course of his life, including Good Morning America host Joan Lunden, who delivered a memorial at the end of the popular morning show on July 19th. Her sensitive and heartfelt memorial to Jed Johnson and her acknowledgment of Alan Wanzenberg as his life partner afforded him the dignity and respect so often reserved only for heterosexuals spouses, particularly by the media. In one simple and touching act, Ms. Lunden made a significant contribution to gay visibility and gay and lesbian civil rights. GLAAD offers its condolences to Alan Wanzenberg, Joan Lunden and all the families and friends of the victims of Flight 800. As the tragedy has a nation grieving, GLAAD also commends Joan Lunden for her act of compassion, acknowledging the significant pain felt by Mr. Wanzenberg for a lost loved one. Please thank Ms. Lunden for her wonderful memorial. Contact: Joan Lunden, Good Morning America, 147 Columbus Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10023, phone: 212.456.7777, fax: 212.456.6926 LESBIAN COUPLE COMFORTABLE AT BEDTIME Premium television network Showtime has just launched a new series entitled Bedtime which details "the complexities of six different contemporary American relationships." According to Showtime's press materials, "Bedtime blends comedy and drama with romance, and love as it answers real and poignant questions about contemporary relationships and the conflicts that arise." Amongst the couples featured is a lesbian couple, played by Susan Gibney and Felicity Huffman. The first episode has already featured the dynamic that coming out to a parent can have on a relationship. As a featured couple, the two will also be able to develop and demonstrate the profound similarities between gay and lesbian lives and relationships and their heterosexual counterparts. Please thank Showtime and the creators of Bedtime for including a same-sex couple in the show. Let them know how important it is to acknowledge gay and lesbian relationships as real everyday relationships. Contact: Ivan Menchell, Creator and Writer, Bedtime, 2118 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 601, Santa Monica, California 90403; Jerry Offsay, President, Showtime, 10 Universal City Plaza, 31st Floor, Universal City, CA 91608-1097, phone: 818.505.7700, fax: 818.505.7755, http://www.showtime-online.com THE NEW YORK POST: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF Inflammatory New York Post headlines in the early 80's describing the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic as a "Gay Plague" compelled a group of activists to rally together to found GLAAD. This week, GLAAD again condemns the tabloid for its all-too-common brand of shoddy journalism. A June 13th editorial entitled "Insights in the Gay World" offers little insight and a great deal of loaded and mean-spirited stereotyping. Following a formula set by the radical conservatives, the editorial relies on misrepresentation, biased sources, exaggeration and particularly venomous anti-gay fervor. It depicts criminal and abusive sexual behavior as the norm in the gay and lesbian community, and reports that gays and lesbians pose a threat to marriage, family, and the educational system. The editorial betrays its slant by citing as its major source the fundamentalist and anti-gay Lambda Report. It would be easy to paint a similarly defamatory picture of the heterosexual community using the same biased techniques. But such a piece would be no more accurate. Responsible journalism is about tearing down stereotypes and exposing truth-- the truth that the lesbian and gay community is as diverse and dynamic as any other, and deserving of respect. Contact: Eric Breindel, Editor, Editorial Page, The New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10036-8701, phone: 212.930.8000, fax: 212.930-8540, e-mail: nypmail@aol.com TIME FOR NAME CALLING? Time Magazine's July 22nd issue featured an essay by Chris Krauthammer ("When John and Jim Say 'I Do'") which asks, "If gay marriages are OK, what about polygamy or incest?" Hardly a reasoned political discourse on same-gender marriage, Time has printed a biased personal attack on gay men and lesbians. The essay gets stuck in the cesspool of the "morally superior," offering the most superficial of heterosexist arguments as talking points. Krauthammer opines that if same-gender marriage were to become legal, polygamy and incest would follow. Interestingly, he dismisses the idea of heterosexual polygamy for various "moral" and "social" reasons, implying that only people of the same-sex would marry more than one. Krauthammer clouds the rest of his piece with a childish assertion that homosexuality is inferior to heterosexuality. His shrill taunts are more akin to third grade name calling than a reasoned debate in a national news magazine. Please write Time Magazine and let them know that this kind of personal attack is not acceptable, even in an opinion piece. Contact: Norman Pearlstine, Editor-In-Chief, Time, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, phone: 212.522.1212, e-mail: Letters@time.com THE POWER OF THE WORD How one is recognized and called in the world is a very important issue to everyone. This naming is especially important to members of minority groups who have had an ongoing struggle to affect the language used to identify themselves by the mainstream. It is therefore bothersome that United Press International (UPI), unlike many of its competing newswire services, remains devoted to the use of the word "homosexual," where "gay" and "lesbian" are more appropriate. There is no question that the terms "gay" and "lesbian" are preferred over "homosexual" by the lesbian and gay community. "Homosexual" is a clinical term, and in fact puts the focus on sexuality. Being gay is much more than sexual activity and terms like "gay" and "lesbian" suggest the depth of individual identity. Referring to the gay and lesbian community as "homosexual" is akin to referring to the African-American community as "colored" or other antiquated terms. "Homosexual" is a word used by clinicians to label us as sick, by fundamentalists to call us immoral, and by extreme conservatives to deny us our civil rights. As the word "homosexual" has been used as a weapon against us, it is understandable why the community demands the use of terms of empowerment, like "gay and lesbian". Please urge UPI to afford the same respect to the gay and lesbian community as it does to other groups. Contact: Tobin Beck, Editor-In-Chief, United Press International, 1400 "I" Street, Washington, DC 20005, phone: 202.898.8000, fax: 202.898.8133 TRUE DISCRIMINATION Atlanta news/talk radio station WGST 640 AM has sent Sean Hannity, a local talk show personality, to the Olympic Games to broadcast his show live from AT&T's Olympic Pavilion. Hannity, though, is a hate-monger that has had such co-hosts as Newt Gingrich and Bob Dornan and who unabashedly perpetuates anti-gay and -lesbian stereotypes. GLAAD questions AT&T's decision to host a radio show that regularly espouses hatred of the gay and lesbian community. Please write AT&T and tell them how disappointed you are in its supporting homophobia on the radio. Contact: Robert E. Allen, CEO, AT&T, 295 North Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, phone: 908.221.2000, fax: 908.221.1211, e-mail: webmaster@att.com DEAR ANN LANDERS... On July 21st, Ann Landers responded to a woman hoping to receive supportive words on her same-sex marriage. Landers wrote, "I believe same-sex couples should be entitled to the legal rights that married couples enjoy, including the ones you stated: gaining immediate access to a loved one in case of an emergency, sharing insurance policies at reduced rates, owning property together and filing joint income tax returns." However, she adds, "But, my friend, that is as far as I want to go. I define marriage as a union between a man and a woman...I cannot support same-sex marriage, however, because it flies in the face of cultural and traditional family life as we have known it for centuries. And that's where I must draw the line. Sorry." The response prompted one GLAAD staff member to pen this letter to Ann: Dear Ann Landers: For awhile now you've been very supportive of lesbians and gay men. You urge readers not to discriminate against gays and lesbians and correct misinformed myths and stereotypes about us. So you can imagine my confusion and disappointment upon reading your 7/21/96 response to "a Loving Wife," a lesbian in a long-term committed relationship. On one hand you say that "same-sex couples should be entitled to the same legal rights that married couples enjoy, including gaining immediate access to a loved one in case of an emergency, sharing insurance policies at reduced rates, owning property together and filing joint tax returns." On the other hand, you claim you "cannot support same-sex marriage, because it flies in the face of cultural and traditional family life as we have known it for centuries." Which is it, Ann? And how does a loving, committed couple's ceremonial and civil bond "fly in the face of [family life]" anyway? Who does it hurt to make the legal definition of marriage more inclusive and representative of all members of society, gay or straight? I suspect that the thousands of long-term lesbian and gay couples from the past, such as Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, would take exception to being excluded from the history of "cultural and traditional family life" which we do share. In the article, you ask us "gay-rights folks" not to "land on you with both feet" for your somewhat murky view. In return, perhaps we could ask that you refrain from speaking out of both sides of your mouth. Signed, CONFUSED AT GAY & LESBIAN ORG. Please write Ann Landers and let her know how you feel about her response. Contact: Ann Landers, c/o Chicago Tribune, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, phone: 312.222.3232, fax: 312.222.2598, e-mail: TribLetter@aol.com 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.