Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 17:34:54 -0700 From: "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)" Subject: GLAADAlert - January 14, 1999 GLAADAlert - January 14, 1999 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Index: 1) A Spoil of Rich(es) 2) New York, (Times), New York (Daily News), It's A Hell of a Town 3) Young, Gay and Proud 4) Adoption Articles Miss The Whole Story 5) Death of Philadelphia Policeman Spurs Coverage of the Blue Closet 1) A Spoil of Rich(es) In the January 13 edition of the New York Times, columnist Frank Rich takes on religious political extremists with his usual incisive style and aplomb, again bringing the bigotry and hypocrisy of the Family Research Council (FRC) to light. Rich writes about Michael and Jon Gallucio, a gay male couple who came to national prominence when they adopted a child, HIV-positive and born with a crack cocaine addiction, for whom they had previously been foster parents. The FRC has called the Gallucios "twisted," and named them in its "bad of 1998" list, for their efforts in the adoption and their work for civil rights. All of these references, Rich points out, appear in the council's newsletter Culture Facts, which Rich wrote about in a previous column, noting the organization's use of faulty statistics to support claims that lesbians are more prone to domestic violence than heterosexual couples [See "Family Research Charade," GLAADAlert December 10, 1998.] Rich quotes Jon Gallucio as saying, "If they have a problem with us being activists and gay poster parents, as they put it, that's fine. But don't put our kids in it." Earlier in the story, Gallucio points to the climate created by the targeting of their family: "The fear comes that one of their followers will be even more fanatical and take it one step furtherŠ". Rich also takes on the contention of religious political extremists that their continual drumbeat of rhetoric has nothing to do with gay-bashing. In response to such claims, he notes the rise in hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation as reported to the FBI, despite a nationwide drop in crime overall. He then asks, "What is the right's modern obsession with homosexuality?" Rich suggests it may be fear and bigotry; or the "culture war," in which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have become the designated scapegoats; or that perhaps it may even have an element of pathology, pointing to attorney Roy Cohn and Arthur Finkelstein, political consultant to Jesse Helms, whom Rich describes as "vitriolic right-wing exploiters of homophobia [who] have turned out to be gay themselves." Rich ends the piece with an e-mail he received, which movingly tells of the difficulty a reader has in trying to believe that "family values" are somehow threatened by lesbians and gay man wanting to marry and raise children. "'I am finding that my faith in God and my appreciation for family are in fact deepened and strengthenedŠ'". Please write The New York Times and thank the paper for Frank Rich's continuing insight and intelligence in the face of attacks on our community from political religious extremists. Contact: Howell Raines, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, New York Times, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036-3959, fax: 212.556.3690, e-mail: letters@nytimes.com (inlcude phone number when sending e-mails) 2) New York, (Times), New York (Daily News), It's A Hell of a Town http://www.mostnewyork.com/1999-01-03/News_and_Views/City_Beat/ In addition to the Frank Rich column mentioned above, New York daily newspapers also carried two stories which demonstrated how good journalism is that which seeks a diversity of stories to tell a story. o In the January 3 edition of the Daily News, the paper's "50 New Yorkers to Watch" listed the men and women of the city to look for in the coming year. Included in the list are Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA), New York State's lesbian and gay lobbying political action group. This year will bring tremendous efforts on the part of ESPA to pass a hate crimes bill, whose passage has been blocked by Republicans for ten years. Also making the cut was Walter Schubert of the Gay Financial Network, and the first openly gay member of the New York Stock Exchange. o In the Circuits section of the January 14 New York Times, an article entitled "But Did You Get Her E-mail Address?" discusses the how communication between people in romantic relationships (or on their way there) has changed with the advent of e-mail. Included in the story is Michael Kaminer, of Michael Kaminer Public Relations, who discusses how breaking up with a boyfriend via e-mail boomeranged badly. Contact: … Arthur Browne, Managing Editor, Daily News, 450 West 33rd St., New York, NY 10001-2681, fax: 212.643.7832, e-mail: editors@nydailynews.com … James Gorman, Editor, Circuits Section, New York Times, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036-3959, e-mail: circuits@nytimes.com 3) Young, Gay and Proud http://www.pilotonline.com/news/nw0112tee.html The January 12 edition of the Virginian-Pilot features a story about Jon Leszczynski, a 16-year-old high school student in Portsmouth, VA who is in the process of starting a gay/straight alliance. The story examines Jon's coming to terms with his sexual orientation, long before he felt comfortable revealing it to his mother and selected friends. Lorraine Eaton writes of the young man's attempt to found the only gay/straight alliance in a Virginia high school, in light of complex statistics that purport to tell the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, including the risk of suicide and a higher truancy rate owing to fear of violence. Jon himself confronted the fear of violence when he was cornered by his lockers and taunted by fellow students. After the death of Matthew Shepard, Jon considered leaving high school altogether; instead, however, he wrote letters to his representatives, and sought out support groups. With the encouragement of his mother, whom he had come out to in a letter, he decided to begin the process of establishing the student group. Even with the spread of rumors about that new "fag club," Jon has had 20 students express interest in joining. He worries about the reaction if the group is approved. "He thinks about Matthew Shepard," Eaton writes, "And he thinks, 'If I don't do something, it could go that far here, too." Please write to the Virginian-Pilot and thank them for a deeply sensitive portrayal of a young gay man who has taken up the struggle for equal rights and visibility, in the face of harsh reality. Contact: Dennis Hartig, Managing Editor, Virginian-Pilot, 150 West Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, VA 23510-2075, fax: 757.446.2051, e-mail: letters@pilotonline.com 4) Adoption Articles Miss The Whole Story http://www.bergen.com:80/region/gaybash199901146.htm http://deseretnews.com:80/dn/view/0,1249,30005314,00.html Two stories on lesbian and gay adoption reveal the unfortunate omission of the very people most affected by the issue: lesbian and gay parents, and their children. o In the January 14 edition of the Bergen Record, Ruth Padawer writes about the recent adoption of twins by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Executive Director Elizabeth Birch and her partner Hilary Rosen. The religious political extremist group Family Research Council (FRC) issued a press release castigating the partners for their adoption. The Record reproduces quotes from the release, and speaks at length about the "Truth In Love " ad campaign, which FRC had co-sponsored. Padawer quotes from two of the ads, which touted "conversion" therapy for lesbians and gay men. She also interviews a spokeswoman for FRC. But the only lesbian and gay voices in the article are that of Jon Gallucio, (see above) and David Smith, a spokesperson for HRC. The amount of space given over to religious political extremists seems significantly larger than that given to parents who are lesbian or gay, with 9 quotes or references from anti-gay groups, and three quotes or references from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sources. o A January 8 story published in the Deseret News discusses a bid by lawmakers to limit adoptions in Utah to "legally married" couples and single people. Adoption by lesbian, gay, or bisexual couples, unmarried heterosexual couples and, according to the newspaper, "couples practicing polygamy" would be prohibited. In the course of the story, two sources are quoted: one, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Utah, supports diversity in adoptions. The other, Richard Wilkins, described by reporter Marjorie Cortez as "founder of an organization that lobbies for pro-family policies before the U.N. conference," supports the adoption bans. While their statements are balanced and played off one another, unfortunately Cortez does not interview any of the representatives from lesbian and gay family groups, such as Family Pride Coalition (formerly Gay & Lesbian Parents Coalition International), or COLAGE (Children of Lesbian and Gays Everywhere.) In addition, none of the research that has been done on these children is cited, thus lending credence to Wilkins' assertions that "policymakers should examine households that resemble [Leave It To Beaver's] the Cleavers." Please contact the Deseret News and Bergen Record, and let them know that, as more is reported about lesbian and gay parenting, the need for fair and accurate information and coverage becomes even greater. Contact: … John Hughes, Editor, Deseret News, 30 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1902, fax: 801.237.2530 … Vivian Waixel, Editor, The Record, 150 River St., Hackensack, NJ 07601-7156, fax: 201.646.4135, e-mail: newsroom@bergen.com 5) Death of Philadelphia Policeman Spurs Coverage of the Blue Closet http://www.phillynews.com/inquirer/99/Jan/10/front_page/POLI10.htm In the December 17 issue of GLAADAlert, GLAAD reported on the Philadelphia Daily News' story on Thomas Kalt, Jr., who had graduated as the first openly gay police officer to graduate the Philadelphia Police Academy. Sadly, in early January, Officer Kalt was found dead in Philadelphia, victim of an apparent suicide. Investigations have found that the apparent reason for the suicide was a romantic breakup, and that harassment and homophobia played no role in his death. However, the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote an eloquent article about Kalt's death and the "blue closet" from which he emerged. Interviewing those who are lesbian or gay and already police veterans, the reporters reveal the varying levels of acceptance for openly lesbian or gay cops in the city. They also examine the sometimes contentious relations between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and Philadelphia's police officers, and how the commitment of those at the highest levels, including Police Commissioner John Timoney, make an enormous difference in how relations and discipline are improved. Please thank the Philadelphia Inquirer for taking this tragedy and creating an opportunity from it for excellent city coverage. Contact: William Ward, Managing Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130-4015, fax: 215.854.5884, e-mail: inquirer.letters@phillynews.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 (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. 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