Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 17:04:02 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert April 3, 1998 GLAADALERT April 3, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Love Boat: The Next Wave Sets Sail The April 13 series premiere of Love Boat: The Next Wave on UPN features a gay-related subplot. Josh (played by Doug Savant, Melrose Place's Matt) and his best friend Luke (Jason Brooks) go together on a cruise after Josh's bride-to-be leaves him at the altar. Because the trip was booked as a honeymoon for the ill-fated couple, everyone on board confuses the two men as gay newlyweds. Upon meeting two women, Josh cooks up a plan which he imposes upon his less-than-willing buddy. Saying that "women love gay men," Todd coerces Luke to play gay to pick up unsuspecting women. "Nobody back home needs to know how gay we've been acting," he assures. The end brings an interesting twist to this otherwise time-worn sitcom premise of mistaken identity. Please check out the premiere episode of Love Boat: The Next Wave and let UPN know how you feel about the gay representation in it. In addition, encourage the executive producer to have more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-themed subplots as the show evolves. Contact: … Dean Valentine, President, UPN Television Network, 11800 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025-6602 … Jonathan Schmock, Executive Producer, Love Boat: The Next Wave, c/o Spelling Television, Inc., 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Building #575, Los Angeles, CA 90036; fax: 213.965.5895. Knight-Ridder Rights Article Balanced on Beliefs A recent Knight-Ridder Newspapers article by Elsa C. Arnett discusses the tensions lesbian and gay Americans face as we seek equal access to cherished mainstream institutions. Beginning by mentioning David and Michael Serkin-Poole, a Seattle couple with three adopted children and a place within their local synagogue, Arnett notes, "They would like to be legally married, but that step would cross a social line that is being firmly drawn. Gay co-workers are fine and gay TV stars are sort of OK. But as gays seek to join the American mainstream, legal marriage and other rights that intersect with core values of family and religion are increasingly defined as forbidden territory." Arnett speculates that forces "propelling the latest wave of anti-gay sentiment" include "a return to traditional values reflected by a falling divorce rate and a rise in church attendance" and a discomfort with equating civil rights based on race and gender to sexual orientation. Arnett interviews anti-gay pundit Lou Sheldon, but also a number of lesbian and gay scholars, such as sociologist Margaret Cerullo, who notes, "'So long as people saw us once a year in a parade, they could just consider us freaks. But as they see us seeping into normalcy, as a mother in the PTA or a member of the Boy Scouts, it's too close for people and it scares them.'" Arnett also points to what historian Robert Dawidoff and author/lawyer Michael Nava call the "ick factor" in their work, Created Equal: Why Gay Rights Matter to America: "'Human beings have a real hard time with the fact that something that looks and feels totally different can be another form of love.'" After listing some of the recent successes and defeats of the lesbian and gay struggle for equal rights, she notes, "While most gay advocates lament that they are under siege, they say the heated debate in schools, churches and communities throughout the country eventually might help people understand homosexuality. 'The best thing you can do,' said David Serkin-Poole, 'is live your life with integrity, be a good citizen, contribute to your community and hope that one by one, neighbor by neighbor, friend by friend, people will see you as a person, not just a homosexual, and all these prohibitions and restrictions will fall by the wayside.'" Please commend Knight-Ridder for this lengthy and multi-faceted analysis of the state of lesbians and gay men in contemporary America. Contact: Kathleen Carroll, News Editor, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, 529 14th St. NW, #700, Washington, DC 20045-1707; fax: 202.383.6116. Outstanding Contra Costa Times Series Examines Gay Youth In Suburbia A "Gay in Suburbia" series on March 29 in the Contra Costa [California] Times examined a myriad of issues facing lesbian and gay young people. One article, "Prejudice, fear dictate coming-out process," serves as an overview, addressing political, social and familial realities for young people struggling to be open and honest about their sexual orientations. As Times Staff Writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis, who penned the entire series, notes, "Many gay teenagers in East Bay suburbs feel that they're in a no-win situation: Come out and open themselves to possible harassment, rejection and isolation from parents and friends. Stay closeted, and live a life that isn't truly theirs." Another article profiles Lisa, 19, and Jennifer, 18, two girls in love and open about it attending California High School in San Ramon. The next article, "Athlete has an 'image' to protect," shows the flip-side, where Sam, a 16-year-old varsity baseball player who has always known he is gay, has carefully constructed a lie so no one will know his sexual orientation. "Like countless high school, college and professional athletes before him, Sam has made the calculated decision to keep his sexuality to himself," Denizet-Lewis writes. Other articles discuss young gay men failing to regurlarly practice safer sex, the role of the Internet for isolated teens, and the growing number of high schools with gay-straight alliances. The breadth and depth of the features are nothing short of groundbreaking. While more media outlets are recognizing the visible and vocal presence of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people all across the country, few touch upon as many different facets and include as many young people speaking for themselves. Check it out on the Web at http://www.hotcoco.com/specsec/gay/index.htm. Please applaud the Contra Costa Times for a phenomenal series and encourage them to continue such balanced, well-researched and thoughtful coverage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Contact: Sandra Keyes, Managing Editor, Contra Costa Times, P.O. Box 5088, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; fax: 510.933.0239; e-mail: ccletrs@network.com. New York Post Chooses Fiction Over Fact A March 29 New York Post editorial keeps with a tradition of the newspaper ignoring reality in order to suit the anti-gay bias of its editorial board. In a previous editorial from January 20 (see GLAADAlert 1/23/98), the Post demonized Navy man Timothy McVeigh as the wrongdoer when the military ignored "don't ask" and "don't pursue" by tracking him down through his private America Online screen name. Claiming that "BOYSRCH," McVeigh's moniker presumably meaning "boy search," "sounded as though he were targeting for his attentions the children of his shipmates," the Post accuses McVeigh of pedophilia. The March 29 editorial notes that "the last time we raised this issue, we were deluged with protests asserting that our ignorance was showing because, in gay-speak, terms like 'boy-watching' and 'young stud' clearly refer to young adults, not children. Nice try, fellas, but we're not buying it--and neither should anyone else." It claims that, "Whether or not open gays should be in the military, pederasts certainly shouldn't. Someone 'searching' for 'boys' who is also inquiring about the children of his shipmates is someone worth investigating." Never mind that McVeigh was discussing the welfare of kids because he was the co-chair of a toy drive for children who might not get other gifts at Christmas. Ignore the truth that no one, excepting the Post, has ever suspected McVeigh of anything relating to inappropriate behavior with children. Respond to people who give correct cultural information about the use of "boy" in gay language (and, indeed, by many women) to refer to adult males in their twenties by saying "Nice try fellas, but we're not buying it." That is what the Post chooses to do. Because to do otherwise would stray from its narrow-minded, stereotypical view of gay men--and to do that would mean admitting that the Post's editorial board is not just wrong but maliciously so. If a media outlet is not willing to learn from its mistakes, how can it expect to be considered credible by anyone? Then again, perhaps credibility does not concern the Post. Tell the New York Post to stop these irrational and gay-baiting attacks in its editorials. Contact: Ken Chandler, Editor, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790; fax: 212.930.8540; e-mail: letters@nypost.com. "KGAY" Is A-OK On April 1, San Francisco's KITS/Live 105.3 made a day-long "switch" to "KGAY," an "all gay, all day" format. From 5:30 am to 10 pm, local gay and lesbian entertainers replaced the station's regular personalities. The format changed from modern rock to anything that could be considered "gay;" from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to all of Donna Summer's hits to Jill Sobule's "I Kissed A Girl." The news highlighted "gay" stories like Reggie White's anti-gay comments and San Francisco's newly appointed openly gay Supervisor. The station played some fake "gay" advertisements, but most ads and sponsors were KITS' regular local and national advertisers. In between faux station identification spots ("We're here, we're queer, we're in your ear!"), they played several public service announcements regarding gay youth, safe sex and HIV/AIDS support and counseling. A mock statement from the station manager said, "We recently conducted a format survey, and you told us, 'Hey, San Francisco is a unique city - we need a station that reflects the people - a gay radio station.' So here it is! We told the people at CBS [the station's affiliate] that this was the way to go." According to KITS Program Director Richard Sands, listener response was "overwhelming," with 85-90 percent of the hundreds of calls and e-mails being positive. "We've never had this much reaction to anything we've ever done," Sands said. Currently on Sunday evenings, KITS airs "Hibernia Beach," a talk show focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. After the stunning reaction to "KGAY," station managers are considering working "KGAY" into their regular schedule, perhaps on a monthly basis. "Response is so huge we do want to do something to honor everybody's praise," said Sands. While KITS' use of "KGAY" as an April Fools Day gag walked a fine line between poking fun and being offensive, it always treated lesbians and gay men with whimsical respect, and their overall message celebrated a joy found within the gay community. GLAAD applauds KITS for taking the big step out of the closet. Let KITS/Live 105.3 know that we get the joke and encourage them to make more radio play "KGAY." Contact: Richard Sands, Program Director, KITS/Live 105.3, 730 Harrison St., Ste. 300, San Francisco, CA 94107; fax 415.777.5483; WWW: http://www.live105.com; e-mail: live105@live105.com. Utah Papers Battle Over School Club Ban Recently Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News editorials lock horns over a current lawsuit facing the Salt Lake City School Board for selectively letting some extra-curricular clubs back into schools while still imposing their all-club ban on others, such as the East High Gay-Straight Alliance. The Tribune editorial from March 26, states, "The very argument over which clubs are approved and which aren't simply illustrates how divisive the board's policy is in the first place. The plaintiffs want all the clubs to be restored. Instead, the already troubling level of rejection for gay and lesbian students that is found in high schools across the country is potentially intensified in the Salt Lake district by the no-clubs policy." It adds that even if the school district wins the case, "it would still be denying all its students, not just gays and lesbians, the valuable opportunities offered by the clubs that it has banned. The best response would be for the district to rescind its policy and let all clubs back in its schools." The Deseret News, on the other hand, claims the plaintiffs are "suing to force the district into allowing any and all clubs." It ends by stating, "A policy that allows anything and everything is bound to lead to unnecessary distractions. In many ways, the federal law is frustrating. Local school districts ought to be free to set their own policies on clubs. But as long as the district wants to restrict itself to curricular clubs, the court ought to recognize that right and not force it to accept a club it doesn't want." The "frustrating" federal law mentioned by the Deseret News is the 1984 Equal Access Act, pushed by Utah's own Senator Orrin Hatch to preserve the right of church-based clubs in public schools. The district attorney informed the school board they could not have it both ways, so the board banned all extra-curricular clubs. The current lawsuit is not challenging the right of the board "to restrict itself to curricular clubs." It is just seeking fair and equal treatment for all extra-curricular clubs. The editorial board of the Deseret News is either confused or consciously trying to distract its readers from the real issue. Either way, it is beneath such a respectable newspaper to be so unprofessional as to resort to these tactics. Please let both the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News know what you think of their editorials. Contact: … Jay Evensen, Editorial/Op Ed Editor, Deseret News, 30 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1902, fax: 801.237.2530 … Harry Fuller, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, The Salt Lake Tribune, 143 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1945, fax: 801.521.9418, e-mail: reader.advocate@sltrib.com (include phone number with all correspondence) GLAADAlert Round-Up: Boy Scout Media Comments Continue Following the recent California and New Jersey court rulings on the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) right to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation and religious beliefs, media commentators continue to weigh in about the issue. Overwhelmingly, those editorials and op-eds opposing the BSA's discrimination appeal to virtue over ostracization, while those who support the BSA's right to intolerance allude to the old myth that gay men are pedophiles. Following are some of the best and worst: … The Dayton [Ohio] Daily News on March 30 said, "Judges shouldn't have to decide this issue. Compassion and common sense should rule...If a boy is or thinks he's gay, that's another opportunity for Scouts to teach respect for diversity and understanding toward those who aren't like you." … A March 24 San Francisco Chronicle editorial notes, "The scouts' continued policy of intolerance will ensure that legal cases will keep coming from a membership that knows it is wrong to build itself on such virtues as trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, courage and character while trampling basic rights of human freedom." … Dick Feagler, in his March 25 column in The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer, said, "The California high court said the Boy Scouts acted legally when they removed a teenage assistant scoutmaster from one troop after learning he was gay. If I had to use one careful word to describe this action, I would choose'prudent.'" He fails to explain why, however, this "careful word" makes sense. … Columnist Mike Downey in the March 25 Los Angeles Times noted about the term "morally straight": "I gather this is supposed to justify denying a boy's freedom of choice, even if that handbook was written in 1910 [before "straight" had its contemporary connotation as "not gay or bisexual"]....Somebody should take today's Boy Scouts and lead them across the street. They're the ones on the wrong side of street." … The March 26 USA Today had an editorial saying that, "For decades, local Scout units across the country have enjoyed free or token-rent use of town hall meeting rooms, public campsites and the like. Some have been sponsored directly by police and fire departments.... But the public shouldn't be subsidizing organizations in which some citizens are unwelcome. If the Scouts want to claim the prerogatives of a religious sect or other exclusionary organization, they're welcome to. But they shouldn't expect support from the taxpayers or public who reject their narrow views." … The same USA Today had an op-ed by radical religious mouthpiece Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council (FRC), who claims, "If [the Scouts], built around teaching virtue to young boys, cannot legally bar openly practicing homosexuals, who can?" He does not explain why sexual orientation is related to "teaching virtue" to boys. … A commentary by Steven A. Schwalm, also of the FRC, in the Providence [Rhode Island] Journal-Bulletin on March 26 said, "If the Scouts, built around teaching masculine virtue to young boys, cannot bar openly practicing homosexuals, who can?" This cookie-cutter gay-baiting manifesto used in brief in USA Today is expanded upon here, floating tired old myths such as gay people having high incomes, that being gay is "unhealthy", a "lifestyle choice," etc. Astonishingly, it even claims that, "Homosexuals haven't suffered historic, verifiable economic and political deprivation as have other minorities." Never mind the Holocaust, McCarthyism and hate crimes against those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered. Contact: … Steve Sidlo, Managing Editor, Dayton Daily News, 45 South Ludlow, Dayton, OH 45402-1858; fax: 937.225.7302; e-mail: Edletter@dni.com. … John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103-2988; fax: 415.896.1107; e-mail: chronletters@sfgate.com. … Gary R. Clark, Managing Editor, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH 44114-2198; fax: 216.999.6209; e-mail: letters@plaind.com. … Janet Clayton, Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053; fax: 213.237.7679; e-mail: letters@latimes.com. … Karen Jurgensen, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, USA Today, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209-3901; fax: 703.247.3108; e-mail: editor@usatoday.com. … Tom Heslin, Managing Editor, The Providence Journal Bulletin; 75 Fountain St.; Providence, RI 02902-0050; e-mail: letters@projo.com. The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation in the media as a means of challenging homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 213.658.6775 (Los Angeles), 212.807.1700 (New York), 415.861.2244 (San Francisco), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC), 404.607.1204 (Atlanta) and 816.756.5991 (Kansas City) Feel free to pass GLAADAlert on to friends, family and associates! Report defamation in the media by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine! 1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334) Visit GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. 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