The San Francisco Examiner (3/23/92) printed an opinion
piece by Jessea Greenman, co-chair of the San Francisco
chapter of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) (and occasional motsswomon!) about "Basic Instinct".
I think it's a fine attempt to put the objections to this
movie in a meaningful context for a straight readership...

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      The motion picture "Basic Instinct" is upon us.  OK,
      honestly now, what *do* you think of lesbians?  Bisexuals?
      
      If you're hesitating about putting your thoughts into
      words, ask yourself what your reaction would be if your
      daughter (or mother) told you she is lesbian or bisexual.
      
      At this point, most "straight" people, if they are being
      honest, would acknowledge qualms about accepting a lesbian
      or bisexual daughter or mother.
      
      Some will fear for her physical safety in a world rife
      with hate, violence and discrimination.  Some will worry
      that being lesbian (or bisexual) would hinder her success
      and happiness in life.  Others might actually distrust her
      or doubt her mental health and character.  Still others
      would feel repugnance toward the whole concept of women
      loving women and perhaps even turn against their own
      family members as a result.
      
      Why is this?  Each person who harbors such impressions
      about the "risks" or "wrongs" of being lesbian or bisexual
      has a responsibility to ask where these beliefs and
      feelings come from.  Do you know any woman who is lesbian
      or bisexual?  A neighbor or friend?  A colleague or
      relative?
      
      If you actually know any woman who is proudly lesbian or
      bisexual, then it's unlikely you would have such negative
      feelings and beliefs.  If you do not know any lesbian or
      bisexual women, then on what is your belief system based?
      
      Your views about us lesbian and bisexual women are
      probably based on the negative myths and stereotypes about
      us conveyed to you over and over again by our culture.
      These distortions and misrepresentations pervade every
      niche of our society, from school textbooks to the
      offerings of your local magazine rack and nightly
      television shows.  Such media are the most potent and
      prevalent purveyors of unfair and inaccurate images of us.
      Perhaps the media did not invent these myths, but they
      certainly perpetuate them on a daily basis.
      
      Hollywood is an enormously powerful engine of social
      imagery.  Its record regarding portrayal of lesbian, gay
      and bisexual people is relentlessly negative.  Name one
      Hollywood movie in which lesbian, gay or bisexual people
      are shown as the heroines or heros, righting wrongs and
      saving lives and so forth.  If you can't name even one,
      don't feel bad.  There aren't any.
      
      Instead, what Hollywood *has* produced, with unremitting
      consistency, are lesbian, gay or bisexual characters who
      are evil or sick or criminal or shallow or cold or
      manipulative and calculating or untrustworthy or all of the
      above, as is the case with "Basic Instinct."
      
      The lesbian and bisexual leading ladies in "Basic Instinct"
      have been concocted as amalgams of the worst character
      traits you can imagine.  None has any redeeming social
      graces except physical beauty, if you can call siren-like
      allure that draws others to certain death a social
      attribute.  All are implicated in a series of brutal
      killings.  None of these characters has any raison-d'etre
      aside from plotting various schemes of revenge and murder.
      
      Americans are renowned the world over for our sense of
      fairness.  Ask yourself, is Hollywood's relentless
      vilification of lesbian, gay and bisexual people fair?
      Why does Hollywood persist in choosing to make only movies
      with negatively stereotyped lesbian, gay and bisexual
      characters?  When do we get our turn to be the good guys
      and gals?
      
      As consumers of American culture, you must contemplate the
      possibility that everything you think you know about
      lesbian, gay and bisexual people is not true, that your
      beliefs and attitudes are based on cultural myths.
      
      Go out and inform yourselves about us, by reading a book
      on our history, one of our literary works of art, the
      latest in scientific studies about sexuality or a study of
      our portrayal in cinema.
      
      Then ask yourself whether Hollywood's continued
      "gaysploitation" is warranted or whether in fact it is
      trite and cliched, unfair and unnecessary.  Join us in
      calling upon Hollywood to open new vistas of artistic
      expression by exploring new themes and characterizations
      regarding our community.
      
      "Basic Instinct" represents the end of an era.  The age of
      Hollywood's self-proclaimed innocence about its own
      homophobia is over.  Hollywood's nonstop bias against our
      community will be revealed as we educate the American
      public about this issue.  Perhaps then we can move forward
      together toward a society in which there truly is life,
      liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and justice for all.

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rod williams -=- pacific bell -=- san francisco -=- rjwill6@pacbell.com