Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 19:40:41 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert - September 17, 1998 GLAADALERT - September 17, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation GLAADAlert Index: 1) Will & Grace Come Out on Monday 2) Two Pieces on a Transgender Pianist Show Insight and Compassion 3) News Odyssey Examines the Relationship Between Religion and Sexuality 4) Utne Reader Tackles Gender 5) USA TODAY's Whale of a Tale About Gay Director 6) Scientific American Weather Report: Heavy Sarcasm, Low-lying Irony 7) San Francisco Examiner on That "Muddled Middle Ground" 8) Editor's Notes 1) Will & Grace Come Out on Monday On Monday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 p.m./8:30 p.m. Central, the new sitcom Will & Grace will premiere on NBC. The show, which TV Guide recently called "delightful," will welcome two new gay characters to television, including network primetime's first gay male lead, Will Truman (Eric McCormack). Will is an openly gay New York attorney saddened by the recent end of a long-term relationship. His best friend, Grace Adler (Debra Messing), is an often neurotic interior designer who moves into Will's home in the second episode of the series. Monday's premiere centers around Grace's fluctuating feelings about her engagement to a man who "high-fives her after sex." Supporting characters include Grace's rich but ditsy assistant, Karen (Megan Mullally), and Will's sassy gay friend, Jack (Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss' Sean Hayes). The series was developed in part by NBC, which ranks as the network with the most lesbian, gay and bisexual characters on television this fall. [For more information, visit GLAAD's 1998 TV Scoreboard at http://www.glaad.org ] While depictions of same-sex intimacy are not planned for the show's first season, Will & Grace promises not only to be this Fall's standout TV sitcom, but the most gay-inclusive one, as well. Will and Jack's sexual orientation is certainly not ignored; it is presented simply as a part of who these characters are as individuals. Audiences will be introduced to two very different, yet extremely likable, representations of gay men. Will, as many reviewers have noted, is a character who does not fit common stereotypes of gay men's mannerisms and behavior, while Jack has been described by some as "flamboyant" and embodying gay stereotypes. But both of these characters represent different types of gay men - both of which are valued within the community. Most importantly, Will & Grace will depict relationships of a sort which few shows have ever included in such detail: the often life-long relationships between gay men and straight women and the strong friendships which exist between gay men who are not romantically involved. Will's relationships with Grace and with Jack mirror the real-life relationships that millions of Americans have in their own lives. Please tune in for the premiere and thank NBC for bringing TV audiences Will & Grace - and Jack, too. Contact: Mr. Warren Littlefield, Entertainment President, NBC Television Network, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523-0001 2) Two Pieces on a Transgender Pianist Show Insight and Compassion Setting the scene for a richly detailed profile, the subtitle of Andrew Jacobs' Sept. 13 New York Times Magazine feature reads: "This week, after years of confusion, torment and hormone treatments, the concert pianist David Buechner performs for the first time as Sara. But the question remains, Will his fans and peers accept her?" '""In "His Debut as a Woman," Jacobs uses Sara's experiences as a springboard for a detailed examination not only of Sara's own transitioning process, but also of the classical music industry and of the transgender community. Describing her as "surely the nation's first concert pianist to undergo a mid-career sex change," Jacobs notes Sara's formidable accomplishments from her life as David, including appearances with leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, an extensive discography, and numerous international prizes. But Jacobs reports that, "As word of his gender reassignment spread through the close-knit classical music world, Buechner ... began to endure a string of rejections." Jacobs continues, "Some have hinted that Buechner's decision to orchestrate the coming out with the help of a publicist suggests an awareness of its career-boosting potential, a way of rising above the crowd." But Sara asks, "Why would I ruin friendships and devastate my family for some dubious gain? It just goes to show you how cynical and bitter the classical music world is." Jacobs then presents mostly accurate facts about the transgender community; examining the stigmatization which transgender people face, pointing out that the transgender community encompasses a diversity of people, and citing prominent transgender leaders, including Ricki Anne Wilchins and Jamison Green. Jacobs relays Buechner's two primary frustrations: That "no matter how great I play, the first line in my obituary will invariably read, 'Sara Buechner, the transsexual pianist," and the fact that her parents do not accept her. Towards the end of the piece, Jacobs recounts Sara's last performance as David: "When the audience rose to applaud and demand an encore, Buechner played an especially sentimental rendition of the Gershwin standard 'The Man I Love,' a private tribute, she says, to the passing of David. After the concert, she left his clothing behind." Buechner was also the subject of the Sept. 16 "Cover Story" on Entertainment Tonight (ET). Introduced by Mary Hart, the segment features extensive onscreen time with Buechner, including clips of her performing. As with the New York Times Magazine piece, Sara's story was presented without sensationalism, but instead, with sensitivity and a demonstrated commitment to educating audiences. In addition, ET, which won the 1998 GLAAD Media Award for Television Journalism, continued its tradition of giving prominence to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community issues and presented a compassionate look at Buechner's experiences. Please thank the New York Times Magazine and Entertainment Tonight for their candor and compassion in sharing Sara's story. Tell them that such positive portrayals of Sara, which show her to be talented, courageous and above all human, will be of significant benefit to others struggling to come to terms with their own gender identities, and to the families and friends who love them. Contact: … Mr. Adam Moss, Editor, New York Times Magazine, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036-3959 … Mr. Glenn Meehan, Managing Editor, Entertainment Tonight, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, fax: 323.862.4954, e-mail via WWW: http://www.etonline.com 3) News Odyssey Examines the Relationship Between Religion and Sexuality In a special hour-long edition of its ecumenical news program, News Odyssey, entitled, "Windows of Hope, Closets of Fear: Faith Communities Confront Sexuality," the Odyssey Channel will explore the changing opinions about sexual orientation within communities of faith. Premiering Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. PDT, the segment will highlight the results of a poll commissioned by Odyssey, which shows a diversity of opinion regarding the role of lesbians and gay men within various religions. While Odyssey's poll shows a majority of respondents believing homosexuality to be immoral, it also shows that an even greater majority favor acceptance of lesbians and gay men. The program features lengthy interviews with representatives from conservative religious political organizations, including the Family Research Council's Robert Knight; Anthony Falzarano of the "ex-gay" ministry Transformations, and newly-elected Southern Baptist Convention president Dr. Page Patterson. But it also gives prominence to religious members of the lesbian and gay community, including Rev. Mel White, a former ghostwriter for conservative religious and political figures including Pat Robertson; Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of New York's lesbian and gay synagogue, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah; and the Rev. Mike Piazza and Lisa Carver of the United Federation of Metropolitan Community Church's Church of Hope in Dallas, the nation's largest lesbian and gay church. News Odyssey also interviews individuals ranging from two mothers who have worked within their respective denominations to help parents of lesbians and gay men reconcile their faith and their families; to heterosexual pastors from mainline Churches, such as the Rev. Jimmy Creech, who have taken a stand against homophobia and lesbian and gay exclusion. While News Odyssey seems to prefer the word "homosexual" to "gay," and although co-anchor Bill Turpie once uses the problematic term "lifestyle" to describe members of the lesbian and gay community, the spirit of "Windows of Hope" is one of journalistic and academic integrity and inquisitiveness. For each conservative spokesperson interviewed, New Odyssey is careful also to provide statement from supporters of the lesbian and gay community. They clearly devoted substantial energy in selecting their interview subjects. They featured representatives of many sides of the debate; among them, conservative religious figures and openly lesbian and gay clergymembers; theologians and academics - sources with an understanding of the issues involved and capable of exploring them with authority and depth. Check out the program when it airs next Thursday, and let the Odyssey Channel know what you think about the reporting. Please let the network know - however you may feel about the segment - that you appreciate the inclusion of this piece, which opens an important dialogue by exploring the supposed dichotomy between communities of faith and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Contact: Viewer Services, The Odyssey Channel, 74 Trinity Place, New York, NY 10006, e-mail: vservices@odysseychannel.com , or call 1.800.841.8476 (toll-free) during normal business hours and request the Viewer Services department 4) Utne Reader Tackles Gender The cover of September's Utne Reader asks: "It's 2 a.m. Do You Know What Sex You Are? Does Anybody?" Utne then devotes seven features to the exploration of gender identity in our society. They cover a spectrum of viewpoints, from looking at the role of genetics and hormones in the development of the sex of a fetus, to the ways in which peer pressure enforces 'appropriate' gender behavior in children. One of the articles, "Drag Net," is written by M.I.T. professor Sherry Turkle, noted author of Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. In "Drag Net," Turkle looks at the current phenomenon of "virtual gender" on the Internet, or the ramifications of the ability to present as a different gender in online communications. Two articles look at lesbians who are defying stereotypes by expressing their feminine gender identity. The package concludes with an overview of some of the more famous gender-benders throughout history and a "gender-aptitude" quiz excerpted from Kate Bornstein's My Gender Workbook. The articles look at the various ways in which gender is being deconstructed and reinterpreted in America today. Regrettably, the Utne Reader does not effectively put these perspectives into the larger context of a transgender political/social movement in ways that would truly have made the collection remarkable. In "The Gender Blur," for example, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Deborah Blum discusses the biological implication of genetics and hormones and the various resulting medical conditions which can produce ambiguous physical traits that make sex determination difficult. But the article does not mention the growing political movement of Intersex people. In fact, aside from the excerpt from Bornstein's book, none of the articles mention any of the leading spokespeople of the transgender movement. Please let the Utne Reader know how much you appreciate their attention to the changing role of gender in our society, and thank them for using the works of fair-minded writers to bring the issues to light. In addition, encourage them to continue this discussion and ask them to include more interviews, quotes and perspectives from transgender persons and organizations in the future. Let them know they missed an opportunity here to give readers a unique and highly informed perspective on an important emerging issue. Contact: Mr. Craig Cox, Managing Editor, The Utne Reader, 1624 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, MN 55403-1906, fax: 612.338.6043, e-mail: cc@utne.com 5) USA TODAY's Whale of a Tale About Gay Director The life of James Whale, director of such films as Frankenstein, Show Boat and The Invisible Man, remains in many ways invisible himself - or at least enigmatic, writes David Colton in the Sept. 15 USA Today. When the Englishman committed suicide in 1957, he hadn't worked for 15 years and his horror movies hadn't yet been rediscovered on late-night TV. "Openly gay in a town of celluloid secrets," Whale "was sometimes mocked as the 'Queen of Hollywood' for his all-male pool parties," Colton writes. He examines the life and personality of "the man who rescued Universal Pictures by casting Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein monster at the height of the Depression" - and finds intriguing gaps and complexity. "Some biographers portray Whale as a self-satisfied genius who turned his back on Hollywood when he could no longer call every shot. Others see a gay martyr who used monsters to symbolize the pain of his own isolation." Some critics "see more than just monsters in Whale's films," Colton writes. "Ernest Thesiger was one of numerous gay or bisexual friends who appeared in his films, and the director lived with David Lewis [his lover] in an arrangement that was shocking in 1930s Hollywood. An argument can be made that Whale's gay lifestyle imbues his richest films, from the outcast sleeping cold and naked in a barn in The Invisible Man to the warmer pairing of the monster the monster and a blind hermit in Bride of Frankenstein." Colton quotes Christopher Bram, author of the novel, Father of Frankenstein, based loosely on Whale's life, as saying that the director was "winking a lot in Bride of Frankenstein, especially in the character of Dr. Pretorious, who's conceived basically as an old queen who bursts into Dr. Frankenstein's bedroom on his wedding night and convinces him to come out to his laboratory. It's just amazing what Whale and Thesinger, a wonderful actor who played Dr. Pretorious, were able to get away with." Gods and Monsters, a film based on Bram's novel, "is drawing praise for its sensitivity and Ian McKellan's startling portrayal" of Whale, Colton writes, quoting director Bill Condon as saying, "I wanted to capture that incredibly eccentric witty voice he had, his identification with the outsider, his mastery of stylish horror. To make a comedy about death, as he would say." Colton's richly-sourced article provides a sensitive, detailed examination of a significant figure in film history. He examines the impact that Whale's sexual orientation may have had upon a major theme in his work; of Whale's characters being "outsiders." Colton neither sensationalizes nor ignores this aspect but places it in proper context with other aspects of Whale's extraordinary life. Regrettably, Colton's overall excellent article has one minor buy annoying flaw: He once uses the phrase "Whale's gay lifestyle." Please express to USA TODAY your appreciation of David Colton's rewarding and highly readable portrait of this major figure in American film history - and for its fair and inclusive treatment of his sexual orientation. Contact: Ms. Susan Weiss, Life Section Editor, USA Today, 1000 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA. 22209-3901, fax: 703.247.6580, e-mail: editor@usatoday.com (include name, address and phone) 6) Scientific American Weather Report: Heavy Sarcasm, Low-lying Irony "Television evangelist and sometime presidential candidate Pat Robertson," Steve Mirsky writes in the September Scientific American, "added meteorology to the list of sciences about which he has theories - and few facts." In June, Robertson predicted that Orlando, Fla., could be a likely target for "'earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor'" because the city had not objected to the Gay Days at Disney celebration and was considering allowing lesbian and gay groups to fly rainbow flags in honor of Pride Month. Mirsky, tongue planted firmly in cheek, suggests that Robertson, who could be considered "an expert on hot air masses," might want to add weather reports "as a regular feature on his 700 Club broadcasts, launching into something like this: ... Continued homosexual activity in the large cities of the East Coast and, of course, San Francisco, will initiate a severe low-pressure front with associated torrentially heavy rains late in the day. Look for heavy flooding, especially in theater districts." Mirsky concludes by noting, "In the interest of an evenhanded attack on wacky ideas, I'd like to point out the obvious fact that no religious group has a monopoly on them. Some of the more vocal members of some groups, however, do have their own broadcast outlets. ... The good news is that such spokespeople serve the larger purpose of reminding everyone of the simple and profound words written by [naturalist Stephen] Gould: 'The enemy of knowledge and science is irrationalism, not religion.' Amen." Please thank the Scientific American for running Mirsky's satirical piece. In a journal not usually known for its humor, Mirsky provides a much-needed perspective on religious-political extremists' recent attacks against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people. Contact: Ms. Michelle Press, Managing Editor, Scientific American, 415 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017-1179, fax: 212.355.6245, e-mail: editors@sciam.com (please be sure to include address and daytime phone number when writing) 7) San Francisco Examiner on That "Muddled Middle Ground" Columnist Dave Ford's topic in the Sept. 13 San Francisco Examiner is the controversy that erupted in that city after the newspaper decided to run an ad placed by religious-political extremists attacking lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender persons. He begins by placing the parties embroiled in the controversy on the same, if unflattering, playing field: "What a drama, and what dramatic players: Here was the Infuriated Lesbian and Gay Community, there was the Big Bad Newspaper, and over there were the Addle-Pated Religionists." Ford states, "Welcome to another of life's irreducibly complex, gray-shaded interchanges. There's no right and wrong here, just a lot of muddled middle ground." Ford argues that lesbians' and gay men's call to boycott the Examiner were unfair - but suggests, too, that the paper should drop its "free speech" rationale for accepting the $35,000 ad: "That's pretty expensive 'free' speech. Then there are the Addle-Pated Religionists. These folks ... have called the 'homosexual lifestyle' disease-ridden, promiscuous, sinful and a danger to children. Viewed through the same kooky lens, the 'heterosexual lifestyle' is predicated on alcoholism, wife-beating, sexual abuse and polyester; it too is a danger to children." Ford cites statistics which show that lesbian and gay youth are at particular risk to be targets of violence. He posits that such ads contribute to the mistaken idea that it's "okay" to attack them. Ford's proposals: The newspaper should funnel some of its $35,000 fee for the ad "into a worthy lesbian and gay cause," as was suggested in August by openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Tom Ammiano. "The Infuriated Lesbian and Gay Community then can dismount from its high horse. .... And the Addle-Pated Religionists? Why don't they just go home and love and care for the people right in front of them? Ford takes a hard look at this volatile local controversy. He cites his concerns with each party's position but saves his sharpest words for the extremists whose rhetoric fosters a climate conducive to violence against already vulnerable lesbian and gay youth. Please express to the San Francisco Examiner your sentiment that running a column which criticizes the Examiner's own actions is unique and courageous. Thank David Ford as well, for seeing and stating so plainly the potential impact of this ad campaign upon lesbian and gay youth. But please express concern, as well, 'regarding his word choice in describing the lesbian and gay community as self-righteous, on account of the community's reaction to hate-filled rhetoric. Contact: Mr. Jim Finefrock, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, and Mr. David Ford, San Francisco Examiner, PO Box 7260, San Francisco, CA 94120-7260, fax: 415.512.1264 8) EDITOR'S NOTES: … GLAAD regrets that it did not include comment from the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) regarding the New York Times' coverage of their annual Morning Party which was featured in last week's GLAADAlert. A statement from GMHC's executive director Mark Robinson follows: "Far from researching and writing an insightful piece on the complex topic of social behavior among gay men at circuit parties around the country, Frank Bruni's recent article in The New York Times rehashed earlier reports on the annual Fire Island Morning Party. The writer turned reflexively to a small and predictable coterie of GMHC's most garrulous and rancorous critics instead of seeking fresh perspectives from people with more thoughtful, or at least differing, viewpoints. Given the importance of the topic to the gay community, the paper should have done a lot more." … Also in last week's GLAADAlert, GLAAD mistakenly used masculine pronouns in describing transgender writer Cei Bell. Bell has, for most of her adult life, lived as a woman. We sincerely regret the error. 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 (LA), 212.807.1700 (NY), 415.861.2244 (SF), 202.986.1360 (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.