Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 19:30:01 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert May 15, 1998 GLAADALERT--May 15, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Ellen Says Goodbye, But Not in Texas In Texas, Waco's KXXV-TV banned the last episode of Ellen, denying many viewers the opportunity to say goodbye to this cultural milestone. Instead the ABC affiliate ran a rerun of NBC's Seinfeld. Ironically, on the season finale of Dharma and Greg, the show preceding the Ellen finale, the plot revolved around heterosexual couples having sex in public during the Seinfeld finale. Yet, KXXV found Ellen, with its tame language and non-sexual subject matter, inappropriate to air. In regard to print coverage of the finale, Detroit News columnist Deb Price had this to say in her May 14 column: "The finale serves as a reminder that creativity is a fragile commodity... Week after week, Ellen had fought to keep her show fresh, alive, real and, yes, gay. And week after week, ABC tried to drag her down to bland mediocrity, all-too familiar territory where the star's vibrant lesbianism would be shoved back off stage....She somehow managed to keep pulling exceedingly watchable rabbits out of her battered magician's hat. But, in the end, she was just too bruised to locate one last rabbit." Later, Price, adds, "Of course, she should have been renewed. ABC sandbagged her tame, sensitive explorations of being gay with 'parental advisory' warnings while aggressively promoting raunchy sitcoms where homosexuality is the butt of jokes.... In her flawed finale, Ellen portrayed an ex-ventriloquist. The episode didn't work; the image does. When she came out of the closet, Ellen stopped throwing her gay voice into a straight character. And she gave those of us who're gay every single week a gift we'll always cherish." Please let KXXV-TV know that for many viewers, being denied the chance to see the finale was heartbreaking. Let the Detroit News know that Deb Price brings a valuable sensitivity to the demise of the much-loved Ellen. Contact: … Judy Fauth-Edens, Program Director, KXXV-TV, Channel 25, 1909 South New Road, Waco, TX 76711-1829, phone: 254.754.2525 … Jennifer Harsha Carroll, Managing Editor, Detroit News, 615 West Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226-3197, fax: 313.222.6417, e-mail: letters@detnews.com Sweeps Month Hidden Camera Hype Hits Rock Bottom An article by Richard Goldstein in the May 19 Village Voice tracks the disturbing trend by ratings-hungry local news affiliates of using hidden camera "exposes" of public sex between men. "If you think interrupting a cartoon show for live coverage of a man blowing his brains out on the freeway is as sleazy as TV news gets, guess again," Goldstein starts. "On Monday [May 11], Fox 5 [in New York City] treated its viewers to hidden-camera footage of men cruising in rest rooms." He notes that the department stores targeted did not give Fox permission to film, and would have refused if asked. "But in the limbo between what is legal and what is proper, the hot hand of tabloid-TV news is free to roam--especially during sweeps month," he writes. Goldstein notes that police surveillance of rest rooms, including filming, ceased for the most part in the mid-1960s, when a number of court cases found it unconstitutional. "But it's unprecedented for TV crews to sneak cameras into public toilets," Goldstein states, adding that over the past three months, over 20 affiliates nationwide have done similar stories, "airing lurid reports that focus on the threat to children who might come upon men performing a sexual act." (See GLAADAlert 3.13.98) Goldstein continues, "The real news here is the ratings race. The wave of rest room reportage first crested in February--at the height of the winter sweeps--and then died down, only to arise again during the spring sweeps in late April." He tracks the story back to KOMO, the Seattle ABC-affiliate that first used the story in its latest incarnation--with an Internet hook about a Web site that gives locations where men gather for anonymous public sex across the country. "Once the media turn up the heat it's hard to know where a gay-sex panic will end," he concludes. "Stay tuned for the summer sweeps." GLAAD has actively criticized this kind of gay-baiting and sleazy journalism since late 1996, when KENS-TV in San Antonio aired graphic hidden camera footage during the November sweeps (GLAADAlert 12.6.96). It is high time for a larger discussion within the media profession of the social costs of this kind of hardcore hidden camera hype and sweeps month sleaze. The situation has become so bad that the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), for only the second time in their history, issued a news release condemning the local news affiliates for "exceeding the bounds of journalism standards and taste." In the release, NLGJA President Karen Boothe states, "NLGJA in no way condones illegal sexual activity in public places. But nor do we condone exploitative coverage that panders to sexual curiosity as a way of pumping up ratings." It also adds, "Boothe said such stereotypical stories rarely examine the societal pressures that push people to have anonymous sex. What's more, day-to-day coverage on these stations often fails to present an accurate portrait of gay people living healthy and productive lives." Please let Fox 5 know that such shoddy journalism is unacceptable and commend the Village Voice for raising these kinds of serious ethical and professional questions regarding this kind of coverage. Be sure to call your local news affiliates to voice concern on such sweeps sensationalism when it occurs and report it to GLAAD (1.800.GAY-MEDIA or www.glaad.org). Contact: … Susan Sullivan, News Director, WNYW-TV, Channel 5, 205 East 67th St., New York, NY 10021-6002, or call 212.452.5555 and ask to be connected to Viewer Services … Doug Simmons, Managing Editor, Village Voice, 36 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003, fax: 212.475.8944, e-mail: editor@villagevoice.com Newsweek Features Poignant Journey of Lesbian Wife The May 18 Newsweek features a "My Turn" column by Carren Strock, a lesbian who came out to her husband after 25 years together. "Until I was 43, I had lived a comfortably settled lifestyle that I thought would last forever. My universe revolved around my husband and two children...One year later, I fell in love with my best friend," she writes. When she finally told that friend, it "destroyed our friendship...For the first two years of my discovery, I cried more than I had in a lifetime. My tears were many things: the tremendous void caused by the loss of my best friend, the isolation my silences condemned me to, my own internalized homophobia...and the realization that I had betrayed my husband and children and was living a lie." After going to therapy, joining a consciousness-raising group, and buying a lesbian-themed book at a women's bookstore, Strock "eventually found women to talk to. I found that many women have remained in their marriages; some living a dual life, others coming out to their families and coexisting in redefined relationships," she says. "While my journey was initially painful, it became cathartic and exciting. I discovered the real me...and reached a new level of growth and understanding." Still, she writes, coming out to her husband was very hard. "We were on the brink of parting several times," she says, "but something deep down kept reminding me what a nice guy he was, and I became determined to try to find some way to make my marriage work in a more realistic light." There had been real struggle, but, she says, "When our 30th anniversary arrived, we shared it with family members. We acknowledged the difficult times we had gone through and thanked our loved ones for their support. We raised our glasses to the new friendship that much talk and open communication has helped us establish. It was a landmark occasion and deserved to be celebrated." Please thank Newsweek for featuring such a personal discussion of an underaddressed topic and in turn being respectful of all kinds of families. Contact: Mark Whitaker, Managing Editor, Newsweek, 251 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019, fax: 212.445.4120, e-mail: letters@newsweek.com (be sure to include name, address, and phone number with all letters) Post-Operative Trinidad Transsexuals A fascinating May 13 Washington Post article examines a small town in Colorado that has been dubbed "the sex-change capital of the world," and the doctor responsible for the reputation. "Stanley Biber, 75, is one of the world's leading gender-reassignment surgeons, and his renown over the past 30 years has given this former mining town of 8,500 residents [Trinidad, Colorado] the unlikeliest of nicknames," it says. "A visit to Trinidad, to Biber's office and to his operating room provides a look at a subject that many people probably will never understand. It raises questions about what constitutes a man, when a woman is a woman, whether it is possible to be something in-between or encompassing both. In a society that has already weathered a sexual revolution or two, this remains a taboo," Post writer Sue Anne Pressley continues. "At first, Biber was cautious. While not denying what he was doing, he did not advertise it either. Soon, he met with area ministers and other residents and explained his new specialty. After that, the questions, if not the raised eyebrows, ceased." Pressley quotes Biber discussing his empathy for transpeople, and his pride in the important work he does. In town, "residents regard strangers politely. Trinidad's claim to fame, however, is pointedly not advertised by officials or merchants." The article also follows one person through the transition, discussing her road to identifying as a woman and having the surgery. Please comment the Washington Post for this poignant, non-sensationalized story about the relationship between one small town and the transgender community. Contact: Robert G. Kaiser, Managing Editor, Washington Post, 1150 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, e-mail via WWW: http://www.washingtonpost.com Time Strikes Out In Time magazine's "Winners & Losers" section for May 18, baseball great Mickey Mantle is called a "loser" because it has been revealed that the FBI kept a file on him. It reads, "FBI kept a file on the Yankee slugger. Did Hoover hope 'switch hitter' meant something else?" Is Time implying that the FBI kept a file on Mantle because of J. Edgar Hoover's sexual orientation? Even if this groundless assertion were true, is Time then saying that Mantle is a "loser" because Hoover was attracted to him? Just what does Time mean? Ask the magazine to clarify its remarks and remind them that their words can be interpreted as sophomoric anti-gay and biphobic puns. That such a bizarre item made it to print is a disappointment that comes completely out of left field. Contact: Walter Isaacson, Managing Editor, Time Magazine, Time-Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, fax: 212/522-8949, e-mail: Letters@time.com (include phone and address with all correspondence) Wonderful Inclusion In DC Comic's April one-shot issue Wonder Woman: Donna Troy #1, written and drawn by openly gay comic book artist Phil Jimenez, gay men and lesbians protest a hate group. In this flashback issue, Donna Troy (once known as Wonder Girl) deals with the death of her ex-husband and child. At a local church, she reads an article from a time when her husband was badly beaten by a hate group. She also reads an article (by Lois Lane) that talks about a candlelight vigil remembering those lost to the Holocaust. In it, Lane writes, "In an unusual, but hopeful display of racial and ethnic unity, several groups of people, most prominently African-Americans and a small but visible contingent of gays and lesbians, joined the march and were openly accepted by the primarily Jewish participants." The report goes on to explain that participants in the vigil were then attacked by a hate group, but that Wonder Girl, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel thwarted them. DC Comics has been known for including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and events in comic books such as the Flash, Superboy and the Ravers, Green Lantern, The Invisibles, and the 1996 GLAAD Media Awards winner, Maggie Sawyer, Special Crimes Unit. Please thank DC Comics for their inclusion and encourage them to introduce diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters, including main ones. Contact: Jenette Kahn, President and Editor-In-Chief, and Paul Kupperberg, Editor, DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, e-mail: DCODCUMail@aol.com Abby Says "I Do" Even When Headlines Don't In the May 12 edition of Abigail Van Buren's syndicated column Dear Abby, she gives approval to legalized same-sex marriage, but from some of the headlines, you wouldn't know it. To "Santa Clarita Reader," Abby says, "I am in favor of committed relationships, regardless of the sexes of the individuals. I think what makes religious conservatives uncomfortable at the notion of same-sex committed partnerships is the term 'marriage.' Call it what you will, legally recognized domestic partnerships carrying equal legal entitlements should be available to everyone." A second person, "Married in My Heart," tells Abby about going home with his long-term male partner at the same time his heterosexual brother and his girlfriend did. "Married's" mom let him share a bedroom with his partner, but made the brother and girlfriend sleep apart, noting to the brother that, "'If Jim and Doug could be married, they would be, so in my eyes, they are. You choose not to be married, and therefore, under my roof, you will abide by my rules."' He tells Abby, "I wish I could 'make it legal.'" She responds, "Your mother is a woman with great insight and compassion, And I hope that one day soon your wish is granted." The headlines in both the Los Angeles Times ("Legal or Not, They Consider It Marriage") and the San Francisco Chronicle ("Commitment Not Recognized by the Law") point to the injustice of inequality which Abby addresses. Headlines in the New York Post ("Devotion's Not Equal to Marriage") and the Boston Herald ("Gays' Life Commitment Isn't the Same as Marriage") tell a different story, seemingly implying that Abby feels that committed relationships should not be treated equally, regardless of gender. Please thank Abby for her support of equal marriage rights for lesbians and gay men, and let the New York Post and Boston Herald know that next time, they should make sure that their headlines match the content of the story. Contact: … Abigail Van Buren, P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 … 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 … Linda Kincaid, Features Department Editor, Boston Herald, 300 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118-2237, fax: 617.542.1315, e-mail: letterstoeditors@bostonherald.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), 404.876.1398 (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. GLAADAlert may be freely distributed and reprinted in all forms of media under the condition that any text used carry the full attribution of "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that 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 registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.