Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 09:40:39 -0700 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Subject: GLAADAlert 07.29.96 GLAADALERT July 29, 1996 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation CORN ON THE COBB In 1993, suburban Atlanta's Cobb County passed an anti-gay resolution that made it the center of a storm of olympic proportions. In May of this year, a new direct mail newspaper started arriving in the boxes of Northeast Cobb residents pledging to focus on "schools, churches, civic groups, family, youth activities, fine arts and government -- all in a positive and factual format." Ironically called The Bright Side, the paper will not illuminate the public on gay and lesbian residents of Cobb, obviously not acknowledging the fact that gay men and lesbians fully participate in all these groups. In fact, it has announced that Cobb County has been maligned and chastised for three years "for having the audacity to pass a resolution concerning family values. It was protested by a minority of folks, of course...(we) have stood on the sidelines watching while a small knot of anti-Cobb Countians (most of whom do not live in Cobb) have twisted the tail of ACOG (Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games)" to keep the Olympics from Cobb. They continue, "what will happen when it finally dawns on ACOG that the State of Georgia passed a law in 1996 banning homosexual marriages.. .don't tell ACOG - it's too late to move the Olympics Out of Georgia!" Please write The Bright Side and remind them that the resolution was about gay baiting and anti-gay innuendo and fails to mention families or values. Let them know how it continues to divide families even at the highest levels of Cobb government - not a pretty or positive fact. Contact: John and Carol Thompson, Owners, The Bright Side, P. O. Box 935, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, phone: 770.423.9555. from The Cobb Citizens Coalition PUBLIC MORALS INCLUDES GAY CHARACTER This fall, under a deal with CBS to produce series for the network, Steven Bochco will serve up his latest offering called Public Morals. Bochco has been known for testing the limits of television, especially seen his controversial ABC television series NYPD Blue. He has also been known to include gay and lesbian characters in his series, winning GLAAD Media Awards for NYPD Blue and LA Law. Public Morals will also be featuring a gay character. Bill Brochtrup, who played out gay precinct secretary John Irvin on NYPD Blue, will be bringing his character to the new show. Please thank Steven Bochco for including a gay character on his new show and encourage him to further develop the character. Contact: Steven Bochco, Steven Bochco Productions, c/o CBS Entertainment, 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036-2188, e-mail: cbso01a@prodigy.com WE'VE GOT THE BEAT Los Angeles adult contemporary radio station KKBT 92.3 FM, more commonly known as The Beat, helped the gay and lesbian community celebrate with pride at Christopher Street West, Los Angeles' Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration. Having not only a strong presence at the celebration, including a booth and a float in the parade, the radio station also produced and aired various radio spots during the weeks prior to the event on people's experiences coming out of the closet. Please thank The Beat for recognizing the community by getting into the spirit of Gay and Lesbian Pride. Contact: Craig Wilbraham, General Manager, KKBT 92.3 FM - The Beat, 6735 Yucca, Los Angeles, CA 90028 CLOSED MINDS SLAMMED SHUT Johanna O'Reilly, a resident of Bremerton, Washington, claims that "Gay Marchers May Close Open Minds" in the July 16th issue of the Tacoma News Tribune. Using the paper's guest column, she details how she and her husband were trapped watching a gay and lesbian pride parade and how she has now become a "homophobe" after seeing "scantily clad" women on motorcycles and a man dressed as "Queen Elizabeth" march in what she calls an "incredibly tactless display of sexual preference." As others who have criticized Gay and Lesbian Pride parades, O'Reilly fails to point out that the gay and lesbian community is very diverse and that the parade represents a variety of opinions and sentiments. She instead mariginalizes the entire community into one way of being. O'Reilly claims to have "good friends who, among other things, are gay," yet she doesn't realize the ridiculousness of her argument, lest she think little of her friends. She also writes, "I was grateful I hadn't brought my own small children, as it is difficult enough to explain the differences in people without it being shoved down our throats in such a manner." Please explain to Johanna O'Reilly that the gay and lesbian community is very diverse and by labeling herself a "homophobe," she is cutting out "good friends" from her life. Also, let her know that people are different and that it is as simple as that. Contact: Johanna O'Reilly, The News Tribune, P.O. Box 11000, Tacoma, WA 98411, fax: 206.552.7092, e-mail: leted@p.tribnet.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.