Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 00:13:51 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert October 15, 1998 GLAADALERT October 15, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Corpus Christi Opens To A Full House On Tuesday, October 13, 1998 three-time Tony Award-winning playwright Terence McNally's new work, Corpus Christi, opened at the Manhattan Theater Club (MTC) to a full house - both in the theater and out. The lead character is Joshua, whose life and character bear a resemblance to those of Jesus Christ. The play depicts sometimes erotic relationships with his disciples, and has been the object of controversy since its plot became known. On opening night, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights organized a group of demonstrators opposing the play, while People For the American Way conducted a supportive action entitled "A Silent Walk For The First Amendment." Much like controversial work by other artists including Andre Serrano, whose work prompted a heated debate by religious political extremists seeking to de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts, McNally's play uses religious iconography to create his art. MTC received threats of violence and property destruction in May, upon its announcement that it would perform the play as part of its season. MTC briefly removed the play from its schedule due to those threats, but quickly renewed its commitment upon security reassurances from the Police Department [see GLAADAlert 05.29.98]. Please thank the Manhattan Theater Club for defying the voices on censorship, and helping to further freedom of expression by taking McNally's play for what it is: a work of creativity. Contact: Ms. Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, the Manhattan Theatre Club, 311 West 43rd St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10036 Dockers: Not Just "Nice Pants" In the November issue of OUT magazine, Dockers Khakis placed a twelve-page advertisement celebrating the achievements of 10 lesbians and gay men, "heroes" who "show personal conviction - and how to be true to yourself." Those portrayed in the advertisement: actor/writer Guinevere Turner (Go Fish); actor Mitchell Anderson (Party of Five); Wilson Cruz, actor and former GLAAD board member; humanitarian Thomas Rollerson; Rea Carey, youth advocate and executive director of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition; former Eagle Scout James Dale, who successfully fought the Boy Scouts of America's discriminatory policy; writer Brad Gooch; Eve Fowler, photographer; television writer Max Mutchnick, co-creator and executive producer of Will & Grace; and Olympic athlete Bruce Hayes. Dockers has truly put their money where their mouth is: not only did they produce this advertising campaign honoring ten of our finest, they will also be making contributions to lesbian and gay organizations working to fight homophobia in schools and help young lesbians and gay men. Already, Dockers has provided funding to the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for 100 full scholarships to its second annual conference, enabling the group to bring students from across the country to their skills-building event. Please thank Dockers for its outstanding commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Tell the company that this advertisement's provision of role models and powerful imagery is vital and sends great messages, especially to the youth within the community. Contact: Mr. Jon Paul Buchmeyer, c/o Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli, 141 5th Ave., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010, fax: 212.477.1441, e-mail: Jpbuchmeyer@ny.bncpr.com CBS's Cable People put their Eyes on 1967's The Homosexuals On Saturday, October 10, CBS Eye on People, the network's cable venture, re-aired a controversial 1967 documentary entitled The Homosexuals. Eye on People showed the Mike Wallace report as a segment of its CBS: The Classics series, with new commentary by Morley Safer and from lesbian and gay community leaders framing the piece. The original production featured extensive interviews with virulent homophobe and "reparative therapist" Dr. Charles Socarides; a closeted gay man literally seated behind a potted plant; conservative clergy; and footage from murky, dark bars showing a "homosexual underworld." But Wallace also interviewed representatives from the Mattachine Society, who provided more positive comments on the lesbian and gay community. Safer opens the re-broadcast: "This subject was arguably television's greatest taboo, but you're about to see the program that broke it," continuing to say that "[i]n 1967, homosexuality did not exist on television. Š But on the night of March the 7th, homosexuals were right there for the first time in America's living rooms." Safer put the show in context by saying, "This documentary is a period piece. Another time, another sensibility. But it still retains the power to shock." In place of the network promotions it would normally have aired during the five segment breaks of the re-broadcast, Eye on People chose to run bumpers featuring comments from veteran AIDS and lesbian and gay community activist Jim Fouratt; Richard Burns, executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York; Dr. Jack Drescher, a New York-based psychiatrist who has done extensive research on Socarides and so-called "reparative" therapy; Adele Starr of Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); and GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. Safer closed the piece by noting a growing acceptance of most communities, but his final words were: "there is an exception, one group many say they will not accept: the homosexuals." Safer's closing remarks were unfortunate, contradicting the message he had provided in his intro, noting that it ran in 1967, "[a]nother time, another sensibility." But the inclusion of commentary from lesbian and gay community leaders served to frame the piece as an historical document. As GLAAD's Garry said: "There's a part of me that feels that a piece like this should not be re-aired. On the other hand, I think the piece has a lot to teach us: that thirty years ago was not such a long time ago and that media images have a really profound impact on how people are seen and I believe that this program really created images in people's minds that we are still attempting to undo as a community." She added, "I think that CBS, in this piece, patted itself on the back a little too much, frankly. I think they deserve the credit for actually exploring the issue, but they should also take responsibility for the damaging stereotypes they created as part of it." Please thank CBS Eye on People for their inclusion of modern lesbian and gay voices in the re-broadcast - let them know it put the piece in perspective. Contact Morley Safer, too, and let him know that while many of his comments were interesting, his pessimistic words at the end of the piece made his earlier remarks seem ingenuous. Contact: Ms. Michelle Scanlon Ipomeni, CBS Eye on People, 250 Harbor Drive, PO Box 10210, Stamford, CT 06904-2110, fax: 203/965-6135 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 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.