Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 17:26:26 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 12.06.96 GLAADALERT December 6, 1996 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Contents: 1. San Antonio TV Station Perverts The Meaning Of News (KENS-TV (San Antonio TV News)) 2. The Schmitz Sentencing: A Tale of Two Stories (Reuters (Newswire), Associated Press (Newswire)) 3. Newsweek AIDS Reporting Balances Hope and Reality (Newsweek (National News Magazine)) 4. Is Townies Cool or Is It Totally...? (ABC (TV Network), Townies (TV Sitcom)) 5. MSNBC Explores Online Love (MSNBC (TV/ Online News)) 6. Coming Out for the Holiday (San Jose Mercury News (Newspaper)) 7. Parent Soup Asks, "Would You Let Your Son Play With Dolls?" (Parent Soup (Online Resource), Women's Wire (Online Resource)) 8. Royko Babbles Hate Nonsense (Chicago Tribune (Newspaper)) 9. Marriage Goes A-Courting: The Hawaii Ruling Media Round-Up (ABC (TV Network), NBC (TV Network), CBS (TV Network), CNN (TV News), The New York Times (Newspaper), Los Angeles Times (Newspaper), San Francisco Examiner (Newspaper), Washington Post (Newspaper), Chicago Tribune (Newspaper), Baltimore Sun (Newspaper), San Francisco Chronicle (Newspaper), Honolulu Advertiser (Newspaper)) 10. Erratum 1. San Antonio TV Station Perverts the Meaning of News In a cynical sweeps week stunt that backfired, San Antonio's KENS-TV (Channel 5) showed men having oral sex on the air and implied that gay men are "perverts." In the news segment "Perverts in the Park," which aired November 14 as part of a series on police raids on Olmos Park, reporter Al Zimmerman hid a camera inside a men's restroom in the park, capturing footage of one man performing oral sex on another man. In haste to get the story on the air, the graphic sexual scene was not properly digitized and very clearly showed the act. During the same newscast, anchor and managing editor Chris Marrou pontificated that KENS had gone "too damned far" to get ratings. In the days following the newscast, KENS stood by the legitimacy of the story even as the San Antonio Express News dismissed it as "sweeps week sleaze." Once again gay people are being scapegoated in a sensationalized "news" story for shock effect. In his narration of the segment, Zimmerman only refers to the individuals being filmed as "perverts," completely dehumanizing them. While police officers are interviewed in the story, neither gay or civil liberties activists are consulted. Zimmerman, by failing to explain the social forces which lead deeply closeted and frequently heterosexual-identified men to seek out sex in public areas with other men, implies that all men who have sex with other men (i.e. gay and bisexual men) are "perverts." Until two years ago, the San Antonio media regularly publicized the names of men arrested for public sex, a practice that often led to these men losing their jobs and families, and in one known incident, resulted in a man taking his own life. The polarizing effect that this gay-baiting has on a small gay community, and especially closeted individuals, is devastating. KENS should know better. Tell Al Zimmerman his misguided attempt to boost ratings is the real perversion. Educate KENS-TV and Chris Marrou on the need for and relevance of fair, accurate and inclusive representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in their community. Contact: Chris Marrou, Managing Editor, KENS-TV, P.O. Box TV 5, San Antonio, TX 79299, fax: 210.366.2716, e-mail: kens1@kens-tv.com. 2. The Schmitz Sentencing: A Tale of Two Stories =46ollowing Jonathan Schmitz's December 4 sentence of 25 to 50 years in prison for killing Scott Amedure in the anti-gay murder trial, news from the Associated Press and Reuters told two different stories. The Associated Press focused once again on the "Secret Crush" episode of the Jenny Jones show, emphasizing that "[Schmitz's] defense lawyers said he had been fighting alcoholism, depression and a thyroid condition when the show's producers ambushed him and pushed him over the edge." On the other hand, the Reuters story said that "The case, which drew international attention to the seamy side of daytime talk shows, was also tracked closely by groups concerned about anti-gay violence. One gay rights advocate who attended the trial said the sentence sent the right message because it was at the high end of what the judge could order. 'In a positive way it sends a message that you will be responsible regardless of who your victim is,' said Jeffrey Montgomery, president of the Detroit-based Triangle Foundation." Please commend Reuters for finally discussing the fact that this was an anti-gay hate crime, and for suggesting that homophobia was on trial, not talk shows. Also suggest that the Associated Press follow Reuters's lead. Contact: Reuters America, 199 Water Street, New York, New York 10038, fax: 212.859.1717, e-mail: webmaster@reuters.com; Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10020-1666, fax: 212.621.7520, e-mail: rgersh@ap.org. 3. Newsweek AIDS Reporting Balances Hope and Reality The December 2 issue of Newsweek featured a host of AIDS-related stories asking if the latest round of AIDS drugs-protease inhibitors mixed with a "cocktail" of older drugs like AZT and TC3-could possibly lead to "The End of AIDS?" The cover story focused on the cocktail's effects on different individuals, including those who experienced lowered viral loads and increased T-cell counts and others whose potential success was limited by factors such as drug-resistant strains of HIV, painful side effects and insurmountable financial barriers. The second story, "A Deadly Scrap of Genetic Code," clinically detailed the specifics of the treatments available and the reality of uncertainties that lie ahead. Newsweek's third article was an editorial by conservative Boston radio personality David Brudnoy. He discusses his own initial denial, his begrudging acceptance and now, with the precarious promise offered by protease inhibitors, his hope for the future. Reporting a positive yet cautious overview of AIDS and its treatment for World AIDS Day, Newsweek keeps the public informed that while giant strides are being made in AIDS research and treatment, there are still many obstacles to overcome, and continued support and activism is critical. Please thank Newsweek for keeping the AIDS vigil alive with optimistic yet realistic reporting. Contact: Newsweek, 251 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-1894, fax: 212.445.4120, e-mail: letters@newsweek.com. 4. Is Townies Cool or Is It Totally....? Airing the same night as the gay-sensible Ellen is Townies, ABC's new sitcom starring Molly Ringwald, which "celebrates the friendship of a close-knit group of working-class New Englanders, who are determined to get the most out of their 20s." Apparently, none of these friends are gay or else they would not have made the kind of insensitive remark that was made on the November 27 episode. At the beginning of the episode, Kurt (Ron Livingston) walks into their local restaurant hangout. He is wearing a very loud shirt and asks his friends, "Is this shirt cool or is it totally gay?" His friends all make faces, signaling him that his shirt looks awful, or by his definition, "gay." While the use of the word "gay" as a pejorative is still common (though distressing), the use of the word by media professionals on a sitcom is inexcusable. It would be unthinkable, after all, if "gay" was replaced with "Jewish" or "Black" in the phrase. ABC's track record with gay and lesbian characters this season is good. Therefore, it is surprising to see such a comment slip by. Write ABC and remind them such derogatory use of the word "gay" is insensitive and inexcusable. Contact: Jamie Tarses, President, ABC Television Network, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California 90067, fax: 310.557.7679, e-mail: abcaudr@ccabc.com. 5. MSNBC Explores Online Love At www.msnbc.com, MSNBC correspondent Reid Goldsborough has written an article entitled, "On Net, Love Is A High-Speed Connection," about people finding romance and relationships online. This story details a host of couples who have found each other though various virtual enterprises, including a gay couple. "Travis describes himself as a gay white male in his early 20s who says he was celibate for three years before meeting his friend online. They exchanged many e-mail messages, revealing intimate details of their lives. 'When we finally did meet, it was as if we had known each other for a long time,' says Travis. They're now a couple," Goldsborough writes. He also adds, "Happy endings like this are surprisingly common. The Internet is bringing together lovers from across the country and around the world, both the young and the not-so-young, heterosexuals and gay people." Please let MSNBC know that the inclusion of a gay couple in the story is appreciated, and adds depth and scope to the piece. Contact: Mark Harrington, Vice President, MSNBC, 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024, fax: 201.583.5512, e-mail: features@msnbc.com. 6. Coming Out for the Holidays Just after Thanksgiving, on November 30, the San Jose Mercury News featured a story entitled "Coming Out for the Holidays," about how, for many lesbians and gay men, the holiday season can bring additional pressures. The article discusses how, "for many couples, the holidays are a time of family. And family includes their lovers. The holidays make the separation in their lives even more difficult. Others seize the holidays to come out, hoping that the opportunity of family togetherness and a season that espouses love and acceptance will help ease the way." Several lesbians and gay men share their personal experiences with the holidays, from one family's denial of the "G-word," to complete hostility from outraged relatives, to total acceptance. In addition, several counselors are interviewed, and the story showcases the annual holiday dinner which is held by the Billy DeFrank Center, San Jose's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center. Please thank the San Jose Mercury News for recognizing the particular challenges which lesbian and gay people face at the holidays. Contact: San Jose Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95190-0001, fax: 408.288.8060, e-mail: feedback@sjmercury.com. 7. Parent Soup Asks, "Would You Let Your Son Play With Dolls?" Parent Soup, an online resource for parents, is advertising on Women's Wire, an online resource for women, with a banner that has the caption, "Would you let your son play with dolls?" However, if the Web user clicks on the ad link, there is no mention of this topic. In the meantime, what the company is doing, whether directly or not, is to play on the fear of straying from gender stereotypes. Write Parent Soup and let them know that this kind of shock tactic to gain traffic to their Web site is offensive, especially to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parents. Also, write Women's Wire and let them know that the ad they are running for Parent Soup is insensitive. Contact: Candice Carpenter, Parent Soup Chairperson and CEO, at candice@aol.com; Nancy Evans, Parent Soup President, at PSNancy@aol.com; Ellen Pack, Women's Wire Vice President of Product Development and Founder, at ellen@wwire.net; Ramona Ambrozic, Women's Wire Vice President of Marketing, at ramona@wwire.net. 8. Royko Babbles Hate Nonsense In what is perhaps the first shot in the volley of homophobic and bigoted utterances that will inevitably follow the latest Hawaii gay marriage ruling, Mike Royko, in his December 5 Chicago Tribune column spews forth misinformation, stereotyping in a hate diatribe. The article, entitled "Court Ruling Makes Hawaii Even A Better Honeymoon Locale," employs the premise that, in Royko's words, "In the case of gays getting married, I can see some advantages to various elements of society." He continues by saying that gay marriage would make life easier for the police, because they could ignore gay domestic violence. In a heterosexual case of domestic abuse, he reasons, "Cops become involved in what should be a private matter because nature has decreed that males be physically stronger and more belligerent than female persons." From this completely illogical (not to mention legally inaccurate) premise, Royko then leaps to, "...In a domestic brawl that turns violent, two muscular guys, or even scrawny ones, ought to be able to duke it out on their own and not involve cops and the courts. I would think that a guy would be embarrassed if he had to dial 911 and say: 'Please send help. My wife is threatening to beat me up, and he knows kung fu.'" He then takes a different tack, divorce, alleging that, "Since gay men are unlikely to have children-at last at this point in scientific achievements-divorces involving gay couples should be relatively hassle-free." Lastly, he says that weddings could be cheaper on parents, since the bride's parents traditionally foot the bill, and with two gay men, there is no bride. "In the case of lesbians, there will be two brides. Both families would have to split the costs, unless one of the two brides had a mustache." In his pathetic attempt at satire, Royko has dismissed out of hand the deadly serious issue of lesbian and gay domestic abuse and the unfortunate history of police turning their backs on lesbians and gay men in dire need; ignored the estimated ten million children of lesbian and gay parents, lesbian and gay joint adoptions and the existence of lesbian parents altogether; and insulted lesbians with an adolescent stereotype of lesbians as "mannish." In attempting to paint same-sex marriage as absurd, Royko has actually revealed himself as an ignorant hate monger with a warped sense of humor. Let the Chicago Tribune know that as a newspaper of note, printing this kind of gay-baiting, stereotyping nonsense is unpardonable. Contact: Howard Tyner, Editor, Chicago Tribune, P.O. Box 4041, Chicago, IL 60611-4041, fax: 312.222.3143, e-mail: tribletter@aol.com. 9. Marriage Goes A-Courting: The Hawaii Ruling Media Round-Up A media flurry has followed Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Kevin S.C. Chang's December 3 ruling in which he found that the state had failed to show compelling evidence why same-sex couples should not be granted legal marriage. The Baeher v. Miike battle is far from over, though: The next day a stay was ordered until the decision is appealed to the state Supreme Court. But whatever the final outcome, the story was big news this week- It was the lead story on the December 3 CBS Evening News and ample coverage on both ABC and NBC. According to several sources, CNN coverage has been significantly less than that of the broadcast networks. Many major newspapers gave the story front-page attention, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun. Meanwhile, the media has already begun to spin out a number of angles for the story: =85 On December 5, the San Francisco Chronicle criticized opponents of same-sex marriage in an editorial stating that "the recent House of Representatives vote on the so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act' show that old prejudices die hard. As the appeal of the Hawaii case makes its way to the state Supreme Court, there will be plenty more bluster about the threat to the foundation of Western civilization." =85 On the same day, the San Francisco Chronicle featured an editorial cartoon showing two booths, labeled "Drive-Thru Weddings" and "Drive-Thru Divorces." The attendant in the first booth says, "I can't believe they might allow gay marriages in Hawaii," and the divorce booth attendant replies, "Is nothing sacred?" =85 The lead editorial in the December 4 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser stated that "Judge Chang's ruling is contrary to public opinion, but it was the right decision. And it's a decision that should make the majority carefully rethink their position. Hawaii has a history of leadership in civil rights, demonstrated when it pushed for equal rights for women and legalized interracial marriages. It is time for Hawaii to move forward on this civil rights issue, too." =85 The Los Angeles Times Syndicate featured an offensive and simplistic attack on same-sex marriage by Cal Thomas in a December 5 edition, in which he hauls out all the old chestnuts of the radical religious, saying, "While Hawaii has long been on the liberal fringe of many social issues, the struggle to maintain what remains of the social fabric will ultimately determine whether we continue to follow ancient Rome on the road to destruction, or come to our senses, turn around and re-enter a harbor of safety ordained by God for our own protection." 10. Erratum: The November 27 GLAADAlert inadvertently identified the Manag= ing Editor of "Morning Edition" at National Public Radio as Bruce Straight. His name is actually Bruce Drake. GLAAD regrets any confusion this may have caused. 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), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC) or 415.861.2244(San Francisco). Report defamation in the media by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine! 1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334) Visit GLAAD's Web Site at http://www.glaad.org "GLAADAlert," "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~= ~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. 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