Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 08:33:23 -0400 Reply-To: wasmith@EIS.CALSTATE.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS [ Send replies to wasmith@eis.calstate.edu (Waugh Smith) ] Major articles from GLAAD/LA Reports - June 1994 Carl Matthes, Editor 1 Visibility Project - Bus Bench Advertising 2 Homophobia in the African-American Community 3 Film and Television CNN & CBS and the Gay Games Oprah: Surviving Your Husband's Gay Affair Day of Campassion Naked in New York Northern Exposure Nestle Corporation Melrose Place Roc The Disco Show The George Carlin Show Even Cowgirls Get the Blues 4 Radio and Print Gay Teen Suicide Comic Books LA Times Kasey's Top 40 5 Advertising Tanqueray Gin Salutes AIDS Ride Finesse & Suave Support Melrose Place (and get hit by the AFA) Apple Features Navratilova ATT Places Ad in The ADVOCATE Nautica Cologne Ad in OUT Magazine Preprinted checks Mayor Labs - Condoms 6 Cobb County & Coca Cola & the Olympics 7 Training for Sexual Orientation in the Workplace 8 GLAAD Forum - Electronic Communication 9 Lee Werbel, GLAAD/LA Exec. Director's Column 10 Sidebars from the June Issue -------------------------- 1) GLAAD/LA Gets Visible As visibility and being out are critical tools in fighting the religious right, stereotypes and misinformation, GLAAD/LA is initiating a new and timely project. The GLAAD/LA Awareness Project involves the Los Angeles public transit system through placing 200 bench ads at bus stops around the greater Los Angeles area. One hundred and ninety-five benches have been chosen throughout the county (with an additional five in Sacramento near the State Capitol Building). Locations in Los Angeles County include: Inglewood, City of Industry, Montebello, Monterey Park, Burbank, Lakewood, Torrance, Compton, Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, Chinatown, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Northridge, Canoga Park, West Los Angeles and Hollywood. Total exposure for the benches over the three-month period is estimated to be over 172 million. This is an unparalleled opportunity to create awareness, not only among Los Angeles area residents, but in the international visiting community as well. First appearing Memorial Day Weekend and running through at least Labor Day (September 3), these "public service announcements" will help create awareness among Los Angeles residents that lesbians and gay men are indeed present in every walk of life. The ads will feature a photograph by Tony Franza of Los Angeles area lesbians and gay men. The volunteer "models" have come from GLAAD/LA, Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, Gay Men of Color Consortium, League of Asian Pacific Island Sisters (LAPIS), and Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team to participate in this visibility campaign. It is important that we all continue to be visible in our lives, in our families, our work, and with our friends. But it is also critical that "we" all be out in a more visible and public way. Through this campaign, we, as a community can be more visible with our family, our friends, our co-workers and our neighbors. All of us concerned with eliminating prejudice and defamation can be a part of this timely project: With a dedicated contribution of a minimum of $50.00, you can "adopt" at least one of the bus bench ad sites. During the three months, you will be able visit your bus bench along with your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. GLAAD/LA will send you the location of "your" bench along with a bumper sticker replica of the ad. Co-President's Column by Dean Hansell One area of popular culture that we at GLAAD have begun to focus upon is advertising. Thousands of advertising messages reach us every day, on television and radio, in the print media, on billboards and even in movies. Advertising has an important but often subtle impact on how we think. Advertising purports to portray scenes from a life that we as consumers desire to achieve. Tens of millions of dollars are spent annually in creating ads that try to convey to the viewer that purchasing a particular product or service will make them hip, sexy, practical, stylish, attractive and so forth. The primary issue in advertising is that gays and lesbians are invisible. Remarkably few advertisements depict lesbians or gay men qua lesbians and gay men. In the world of advertising gay couples are never seen, even romantic glances between two women or two men is a rare sight. Even the AIDS awareness campaign undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control inexplicably ignores the gay community. In addition, there are some ads that are just offensive. Witness, for example, ads for Black Angus Restaurants featuring a cowboy cooking his dinner who tells you that Black Angus Restaurants have "no sissy food" and "no sissy portions." Further, because advertising dollars can often make or break a television show, religious supremacist groups such as the American Family Association and CLeaR-TV target companies that advertise on shows that depict lesbians and gay men in a balanced way. This is not the first time that a group has been shut out of advertisements. Concerns from Both African-Americans and Hispanic groups about their lack of representation in advertising began campaigns to increase the number of people of color portrayed in advertisements. To get their message across, several African-American groups went so far as to propose economic boycotts of major advertisers patronized heavily by African-Americans if the advertisers did not improve the diversity of the people portrayed in their ads. It is high time we in the lesbian and gay community begin to add the important issue of inclusiveness in advertising to our agenda. GLAAD has begun to take up the issue of advertising in several ways. We have begun an "advertising watch" currently coordinated by the Media Outreach Committee. The campaign is designed in part to identify advertisers who are supportive of our community and those who either run ads that tend to depict gays and lesbians in a bigoted way or advertisers who pull ads from shows that portray lesbians and gays accurately. 2) Addressing Homophobia in the African-American Community Ebony Magazine 820 S. Michigan Chicago, IL 60605 Dear Editor: This letter and the accompanying "An Open Letter to the African-American Community from Members of the Family" are a response to the phenomena of homophobia in the African-American community. These communiques were sparked in part from the homophobic tone of the article on Toni Braxton (May '94) by Muriel Whetstone. But we are also concerned about the inflammatory and derogatory statements by others in our community who "wish they could march with the Klan against gay rights" and bash us both verbally and physically. In an effort to stem the polarization of positions and open doors of communication we are recommending that the following steps be taken: 1. Publish this letter and "An Open Letter to the African-American Community from Members of the Family in the next issue of Ebony. 2. Have a round-table discussion on homophobia and publish the contents of that discussion. 3. Publish interviews of prominent African-American lesbian and gay rights leaders. We are available to help Ebony establish a national dialogue on homophobia and the impact on the African-American community. You may contact us at (213) 658-6775. Sincerely, Stephanie Farrington-Domingue Co-President, GLAAD/LA An Open Letter to the African-American Community from Members of the Family We are African-Americans. African rooted and American grounded. Living, working, playing and praying side by side with you in our various Black communities. We are members of the Family. And as family members, we are concerned with the amount and degree of homophobia that exists in our community. Homophobia doesn't appear in our homes, churches and workplaces as some casual tourist, but it has entrenched itself into our daily lives as surely and as insidiously as its parasitic hate-twin, racism. They are both chronic mental illnesses that plague our communal psyches and do great harm to our external realities. Both stem from a kind of visual insanity that telegraphs fear and hatred of difference. Both are counterfeit concerns that result in immature terror. James Baldwin called homophobia "an extreme example of the American terror that's concerned with growing up." Baldwin connected the dots between the nexus of sex and race and suggested that we all grow up. We who sit with you at the banquet table of our resplendent heritage suggest that it is high time for a national discussion on this matter of homophobia. The dialogue can begin anywhere we gather. In our homes, our churches, on these pages. In our hearts. The "Open Letter to the African-American Community from Members of the Family" was written by GLAAD/LA Monitor/Response Committee and former GLAAD/LA Board Member Sylvia Rhue. 3) FILM & TELEVISION You Can Encourage CNN & CBS Both CNN and CBS-TV have expressed an interest in covering Gay Games IV in New York City during the week of June 18, 1994. Such coverage would be a first for the Games and a milestone in mainstream media recognition of this international sporting event. You can encourage these networks to include the Gay Games, the results and attendant personality and human interest profiles by contacting: Jim Walton, Sports Director, CNN, 1 CNN Center, Atlanta, GA 30348; (404) 737-3323; CBS-TV Sports, 524 W. 57 Street, New York 10019. "Surviving Your Husband's Gay Affair" The May 4 edition of "Oprah" (KABC-TV, 3:00 pm, weekdays) featured a positive show, "Surviving Your Husband's Gay Affair," about gay men who had been or are presently married to women. The on-stage panel consisted of Steven and Laurie, married for 19 years, their two sons, and psychologist Dr. John Musser. Other "mixed" couples were part of the studio audience including the wife of a gay man who came out to her after 12 years of marriage. Answering Oprah's question "Would you stand by your gay spouse?," she said, "I was very lucky. My husband was able to be honest and our relationship only got better, even the sex!" A surprised Oprah, reacting to the audience gasp, responded, "Well, we're all learning something here today. My gay friends tell me that they have never had sex with a woman and have no interest in doing so." The wife continued, "So many of the reasons of why this or that happened during our marriage began to fall into place. I discovered our accountant was gay, our veterinarian was gay, our doctor was gay..." "What," said Oprah interrupting "where in the world do you live? Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have to tell." "Oh, I don't mind, but you may not believe it" said the wife, "we live in Orange County, California!" Dr. Musser confirmed that gay men may love women, can be intimate with women and can form lasting relationships with women, but their sexual orientation remains homosexual. Confirming this was another studio couple, David and Diane King. David wanted a family and Diane thought children would make David straight. (She knew David was gay before she married him.) David said that while he loved his wife and his son, he really was gay, and introduced his lover, "Stickman." Oprah's reactions and professional demeanor all added to this intelligent, entertaining and educational hour. Your comments to: Ms. Debby di Maio, Executive Producer, "Oprah Winfrey Show," c/o Harpo Inc., 110 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, Il 60607. TV Gearing up for "Compassion" The national "Day of Compassion" will occur on June 21, 1994. On this day, television daytime dramas, talk shows and news programs are encouraged to feature role models, topics and storylines reflecting compassion for individuals who are HIV infected or have AIDS. Roseanne Arnold and John Goodman have already taped a Public Service Announcement (PSA) which, with the support of ABC-TV, will air with the re-run of "Roseanne" on the evening of June 21. This would be the first prime time presence for "Day" according to Neil Tadken, coordinator for this growing international event. Also committed for 1994 is Spanish language programming from Telemundo productions. For more information, and for a brief video highlighting the 1993 "Day of Compassion" (made possible through the generous cooperation of Philip Murphy and Don Guill at Paramount Picture Studios), call: Neil A. Tadken, 1233 N. Flores Street, #101, West Hollywood, CA 90069; (213) 848-2978; to encourage ABC-TV to run the Arnold/Goodman PSA, write: Ted Harbert, President, ABC-TV, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles 90067. "Naked in New York" Joining the sudden boom of Generation X films including lesbians and gay men, is the Dan Algrant written and directed "Naked In New York." "Naked" follows Jake (Eric Stoltz), an aspiring New York playwright, and his co-dependent relationship with Joanne (Mary-Louise Parker), as he makes his transistion from yuppie college boy to the real world. It becomes obvious that Jake shares a certain energy with Chris (Ralph Macchio), his best friend and college roommate (the most engaging character in the film). In a moment of vulnerability, Chris kisses Jake... yes, on the lips. We find out that Chris is gay...or not gay...he doesn't know what he is. Then, instead of developing a relationship between the two men, or learning more about Chris, Algrant drops the ball. This is the last time we see Chris in the film. Unfortunately, even with all the on-screen talent, including Kathleen Turner, Timothy Dalton and Tony Curtis, and the interesting chemistry between Stoltz and Macchio, "Naked" leaves you only cold. To encourage the continued introduction of gay and lesbian characters in stories and films, and then letting them be fully developed, contact: Dan Algrant, "Naked in New York," c/o FineLine Features, 888 7th Avenue, 20th Floor, New York 10106: (212) 649-4800. "Northern Exposure" Wedding bells rang in Cecily, Alaska for Ron and Erick (Doug Ballard and Don McManus) on the May 2 season finale of "Northern Exposure" (CBS-TV, Mon., 10:00 pm). Written by Jed Siedel and entitled "I Feel the Earth Move," the only homophobe turned out to be Maurice, "Northern's" macho ex-astronaut, who had actually helped the couple get over their pre-marital differences. Unlike most telvision weddings, the kiss between the two men was deleted and the recited vows displayed no real feeling or meaning. Also, Nestle Corporation withdrew as a sponsor, the only one to do so. In a press release, GLAAD/LA expressed disappointment at Nestle's decision: "The political and social statement made by Nestle in taking such action speaks against the promotion of human dignity and respect for all people." (Nationwide only two CBS affiliates, KNOE-TV of Monroe, LA and WTVY-TV of Dothan, AL, announced their refusal to air the show. A third affiliate, WDRW-TV of North Augusta, South Carolina replaced "Northern," without warning, with an episode of "Deep Space Nine.") But, the door is slowly opening for more and more reflections of our true lives. Now let's get a lesbian wedding in a national prime time TV drama and have a real kiss! Remember, your comments can be important to wrestling that door open. Write: Jeff Sagansky, President, CBS Entertainment, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles 90036; Andrew Schneider, Executive Producer, "Northern Exposure," 3000 Olympic Blvd., Suite #1540, Santa Monica, CA 90404; Tim Crull, CEO, Nestle Corporation, 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203; CBS affiliates: WRDW-TV, 1301 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC 29841; KNOE-TV, P.O. Box 4067, Monroe, LA 71211; WTVY-TV, P.O. Box 1089, Dothan, AL 36302. Recent GLAAD/LA Press Releases: "Northern Exposure" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Los Angeles (GLAAD/LA) announced its disappointment with the May 2 episode of "Northern Exposure" upon which after exchanging wedding vows the individuals do not share a kiss. Doesn't this seem odd? Two people have just experienced one of the most important moments in a person's life, marriage, committing themselves to sharing a life with another person. Yet they don't share an intimate kiss after the ceremony. How can this be? It can't possibly be true, because it isn't realistic. "Northern Exposure" had gained wide acceptance and popularity from its viewers the past years and one of the reasons is their earnest portrayals of lesbian and gay men. Why have they decided to steer away from the road of reality? GLAAD/LA Executive Director Lee Werbel stated, "this is a real kick in the face to lesbians gay men, and non-gay people across the country. All that lesbian and gay men want is to see themselves portrayed as any other person, with families and friends and yes, displaying signs of affection with those we love. The stripping of such a big part of an important aspect of any individual's life is insensitive and sends a clear message to society that gay people are very different." Andrew Schneider, Executive Producer, "Northern Exposure," 3000 Olympic Blvd., Suite #1540, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Nestle Corporation Lee Werbel, GLAAD/LA Executive Director, stated, "We are surprised by a corporation of Nestle's stature backing out at this late date due to programming content. This display of homophobia further perpetuates the myth that lesbians and gay men are not real people. We must remember we do go to school, we do go to work and we certainly want the legal protection to marry and share a kiss with the person we love. Nestle and corporate America need to recognize that lesbians and gay men are an integral part of the television audience and society at large." Your comments may be directed to: Tim Crull, CEO, Nestle Corporation, 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203. "Melrose Place" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Los Angeles (GLAAD/LA) announced its dismay with Fox Network's reported refusal to air the season finale of "Melrose Place" which features the show's openly gay character, Matt Fielding (Doug Savant), kissing another man. The finale, "Till Death Do Us Part," which aired on Wednesday, May 18, revolves around the wedding of Billy (Andrew Shue) and Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), and one of his friends is attracted to Matt. According to Darren Star, creator and executive producer, of "Melrose Place", they have a scene in which Matt kisses the other man. Now Fox does not want to air the episode in its entirety fearing they may lose affiliates. In the past "Melrose Place" has portrayed gay men as ordinary human beings. The reality content of episodes and scenes like these about individuals leading their lives as real people is what has made "Place" the popular show that it is. When Doug Savant's character kisses another man it illustrates the reality of the moment. According to Co-Producer Darren Starr, "We receive letters consistently from both gay and non-gay viewers urging the show to further develop Savant's character. The viewers are much more sophisticated than advertisers, or than advertisers...give them credit for." GLAAD/LA Executive Director, Lee Werbel stated, "as lesbians and gay men we are continually defending our right to lead our lives as freely and honestly as other Americans have the right to do. The censoring of a realistic part of an individual's life is ridiculous. It is difficult to believe a progressive network such as Fox would even hesitate to air the episode in its entirety." Your comments to: Lucie Salhany, President, Fox Broadcasting P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213; Darren Starr, Executive Producer, "Melrose Place," Spelling Enterprises, 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 670, Los Angeles 90036; Aaron Spelling, Spelling Entertainment, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 575, Los Angeles 90036; Doug Savant, c/o Jay Michael Bloom, 9200 Sunset Blvd., Suite 710, Los Angeles 90069. Can We Help "Roc"? During April, "Roc" (KTTV-TV, Tues., 8:30 pm) featured the only on-going African-American gay man on TV (portrayed by Richard Roundtree). Stressing the themes of inclusion and equality, while linking racism and homophobia to ignorance and fear, "Roc" has consistently supported GLAAD/LA and has gone out of its way to present a gay-positive character. Now, can we help "Roc" as it goes for renewal for the '94-'95 season? We encourage you to take time and contact Fox to keep this show on the air. Contact: Fox Broadcasting, P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213; (310) 277-2211. "The Disco Years" From Select Media, "a video, videodisc and CD-ROM distributor specializing in health education and social issues media for children, youth and adults," comes "The Disco Years." The story is set in the 1970s and follows the coming out of high school teenager Tom Peters. Told from Tom's point of view, the 30-minute film really shows the pressures to conform to the prevalent heterosexism that exists in society and demonstrates the reason why people stay in the closet, especially in high school. The film follows the innocent romance between Tom and his tennis partner, Matt, and how homophobia eventually destroys the relationship. This is a great film, not only for classroom use, but to show friends and family. To purchase a copy ($225), write: Select Media, 33 West 17th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10011; (212) 727-7507. GLAAD/LA Letters Work, and Might Put You to Work! In January "The George Carlin Show" (KTTV, Sun., 9:30 pm, GLAAD/LA Reports Mar. '94) presented an episode in which a gay friend of George's comes out. The show was funny and positive. GLAAD/LA Monitor/Response Committee member Shawn Griffin wrote to the producers and told them how engaging the episode was. Much to his surprise, one of the producers called to thank him for his letter and invited him and a friend to be an extra on the show. So Shawn and his friend, Crespin Rosas, trekked over to Warner Bros. to be "extra- atmosphere" on the show. While "waiting for their close-ups," they watched the show being taped. In one scene, George invites down-and-out Brian Doyle Murray to his apartment to loan him some money. Doyle responds, "You're not one of those old queens are you?" The director yelled "Cut!" and Crespin thought maybe it was time for he and Shawn to leave, in lieu of possible homophobic material that might follow. Shawn said no, let's wait and see what happens. After a few moments the scene was re-shot and Doyle again inquired if George was an old queen. George responded "No," followed by a pause which seemed to last forever, and then continued, "but I would have been a superb one." Moral of the story: GLAAD/LA letters work! Your comments to: Jerry Hamza and Sam Simon, "George Carlin Show," P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213. And you are invited to attend the GLAAD/LA Monitor/Response Committee meetings on June 9 and 23, 7:30 pm, GLAAD/LA office, 8455 Beverly Blvd., Suite 305, Los Angeles. (Push #40 on the phone-access system at the front door to the building, which is one block east of La Cienega.) Even Cowgirls Get A Massive Headache It was with high expectations that the movie version of Tom Robbins' 1976 pop culture bestseller, "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," was awaited - beloved book, lesbian romance, score by k.d. lang, celebrity cast. Wow. With all this, FineLine Features and gay director Gus Van Sant managed to turn out a flat, insulting and poorly made movie - blatantly misogynistic. Make sure the youngsters are out of the room, and read on: The Countess, a grotesque drag queen, makes feminine hygiene products because women smell so bad, you see. In a long harangue he spews, "I loathe the stink of females. Once they start fooling around with men they stink like rotten mushrooms, like a tuna fish's retirement party." Later the Cowgirls succeed in taking over Rubber Rose Ranch (don't ask) by dropping their pants and stumbling towards the Countess with the rebel cry, "None of these pussies have been washed for a week!!" These are the jokes? In the book's version of this women-hating diatribe, it is presented as the ravings of a twisted soul. Van Sant has weighted this aspect of the story so it grabs center stage. When we do get to the lesbian love scenes they feel empty and forced. In the context of this picture, who cares anyway? Your comments to: Gus Van Sant, "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," FineLine Features, 888 7th Avenue, 20th Floor, New York 10106; (212) 649-4800. 4) RADIO & PRINT The Hidden Epidemic: The Secret of Gay Teen Suicide The April 29 issue of the LA Weekly presented an excellent article on the overwhelming number of cases of suicides by gay and lesbian teens. Written by Richard Natale, the article offers many truths, some so startling that they call into question the claims found in recent articles published in mainstream magazines that being gay is "chic" in high schools today. In fact, Natale brings up the trend of gay and lesbian chic when he writes, "Even in a world in which glamorous lesbians grace the cover of Newsweek and the joys of bisexuality are touted on `Oprah,' the world of gay and lesbian chic runs parallel to the lives of most adolescents. Being gay or lesbian is still not chic for teenagers, even in major cities like Los Angeles and New York." While things have gotten better as support groups like Project 10 are formed in high schools around the country, we musn't forget the frightening statistics the Department of Health and Human Services 1989 report provided - 30% of all teen suicides are based on difficulties regarding sexual orientation. Citing lack of data on gay and lesbian teen suicide, adult lesbian and gay apathy and inaccessiblity of available service for gay and lesbian teens, the article concluded that our community has a lot of work cut out for it. Comments to: The L.A.Weekly, P.O.Box 4315, Los Angeles, CA 90078. Enlightenment or Overload? Have you seen a comic book lately? Are you ready for this? Superman is a hunk; like Fabio with dark hair. And Cat Woman, a major babe - six feet tall in skin-tight spandex and serious T&A. Then there are stories targeted for somewhat older youths, right alongside the traditional heroes, about the dark side, death, maybe even a three-way! Some comics have occasional lesbian and gay characters. Channel 9 (KCAL-TV) in Los Angeles did a story in its 10 pm newscast recently about Marvel Comics superhero, Northstar, who came out as gay in an early issue of the Alpha Flight series. The story was supportive with its positive expressions and on-camera opinions from retail seller, Cheap Comics. "Comics are catching up with society," they said. "It's an important medium for education. The issue where Northstar comes out was so popular that it had to go to a second printing. Comic books succeeded more than any other medium for shaping opinions of youths, and bringing light to more people." Too bad that news anchor Pat Harvey's lead-in to the story contained the disparaging remark, "Stay tuned for the news and a review of a comic strip you may not want your children to read." Now some may not want their children to see any comics - the storylines can be sophisticated, the renderings so sexual - but children need to understand that superheroes, and everday heroes, may be lesbian or gay. Your comments to: David Woodcock, General Manager, KCAL-TV, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90038; Pat Harvey, same address; Marvel Comics, 387 Park Avenue South, New York 10016. "Zwanna" What is evil? Transvestites? Fetishes? "Black Widows"? S&M? "Zwanna: Son of Zulu," a recent entry in the comic book field, features a villian who has a foot fetish and wears what looks like a tutu. He works with three "black widows" who appear to be S&M transvestites. Should these comic book images, displaying these characteristics, be equated with evil? Your comments to: Nabile Hage, Writer/ Editor, Dark Zulu Lies, Inc., P.O.Box 38261, Atlanta, GA 30334. Times Watch May 1 was a double header of information on gays and lesbians. Los Angeles Times (LAT) writer Bettina Boxall presented a story entitled "Statistics on Gays Called Unreadable." Boxall found that in terms of demographics for gays "some numbers paint a portrait of an affluent and educated community. But experts say that the data ignores the hidden homosexual population and is based on poor samplings and ambiguous definitions." The other article, "No Shrinking Violets" by Jameson Currier, appeared on the front page of the LAT Book Review about gay writers. Informally known as the Violet Quill Club, these writers - Edmund White, Andrew Hulleran, Christopher Cox, Michael Grumley, Robert Ferro, Felice Picano and George Whitmore - "shared a desire to portray their gay experiences in print and to write expressly for gay readers without having to explain themselves to a heterosexual audience." They helped to "change the direction and image of gay literature." The April 26 edition gave readers three articles containing gay and lesbian issues and people. In the main section was Susan Essoyan's "Special to the Times" article entitled "Hawaii Tries to Take a Stand Against Same-Sex Marriages," which gave a very balanced view of the recently passed ban on same sex marriages by the Hawaii Legislature. This ban must now pass muster in the Hawaiian Supreme Court, a court that previously ruled that the State must show a "compelling reason why the ban against same sex marriages is constitutional." Said Hawaiian State Senator Matthew Matsunaga: "This is not about publicly approving or disapproving of a form of relationship. It is about safeguarding the rights of citizens regardless of attitudes." The Metro section had a front page story on the random slaying and holdup of organist and choirmaster David John Falconer. A full-color photo of David and a positive story of his work and life by Shawn Hubler, LAT staff writer, brought home the fact that the violence and death stalking many areas of Los Angeles affects all of us. While this was not a gay murder, per se, the article gave readers an insight into the life of David which included his sexual orientation and remarks by his life-partner of 10 years, Rev. David Charles Walker. And finally, the Life & Style section contained a book review of Abraham Verghese's "My Own Country," a book chronicling his experience as a VA hospital doctor in Johnson City, Tennessee, which eventually found him earning the name the "AIDS doctor." On April 15, LAT reported on the study of gay and lesbian African-Americans by UCLA psychologist Vickie Mays and co-author Susan Cochran, a psychologist at Cal-Sate Northridge. The study shows high levels of stress among gay African-Americans who have "substantially higher levels of chronic strain than heterosexual blacks or whites" and "their emotional needs are not being met by mental health professionals." Your comments to: Mr. Shelby Coffey III, Editor-in-Chief, Los Angeles Times, Times-Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053; FAX (213) 237-7679. To: Kasey's Top 40 P.O. Box 4300 Hollywood, CA 90076 (copy to GLAAD/LA) Dear Kasey and Staff, Listening to the countdown yesterday I heard a request and dedication from "Julie" to her grandmother. Julie stated that her family had separated themselves from her because she had come out as a Lesbian. Everyone, that is, except her grandmother who she was thanking for loving her for who she is, rather than for whom she loves. Now I want to express my appreciation to you for reading her request and dedication on the countdown. Sincerely, Ryan Kennedy Residential Counselor Mental Health Corporation of Denver 5) ADVERTISING "The End of the Road" A full page ad in the May 8 Sunday Los Angeles Times carried an ad message from Tanqueray, the English gin. Entitled "The End of the Road is Just the Beginning," the ad, consisting of text only, paid homage to the bicyclists who rode in the California AIDS Ride. Tanqueray "Proudly Salutes The Riders. Here's to the end of the road," proclaimed the ad. At the very bottom of the full page was the logo and name of The Center - L.A. Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center. Your comments to: Mr. Jack Schaeffer, President, Tanqueray, 1412 Broadway, New York 10018. AFA Targets Helene Curtis The American Family Association (AFA), one of the major hate groups in America, is now targeting Helene Curtis (makers of Finesse, Salon Selectives and Suave hair care products) for its advertising on "pro-homosexual" television programs. AFA has identified Helene Curtis as one of the top advertisers of "Melrose Place," a program it describes as "among the leading champions of the homosexual activist agenda." Help Helene Curtis to get the AFA out of its hair by writing, Gerald Gidwitz, Chair, Helene Curtis, 325 N. Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60610; FAX (312) 836-0125. Apple Features Navratilova Apple Computer is using Martina Navratilova in its print advertisements, according to Harry Taylor of Out magazine. Said Mr. Taylor, "We all know how difficult it is for gay and lesbian professionals to get product endorsements." To encourage Apple to continue its inclusive policy, contact: Ms. Anne Winkler, Apple Computer, 20525 Mariani, Mail Stop, 76-4 AD, Cupertino, CA 95074; Mr. Michael Markman, Apple Computer, 20525 Mariani, Mail Stop, 2-V, Cupertino, CA 95074. AT&T in The Advocate AT&T has placed its first ad in a national lesbian/gay publication, The Advocate. "Getting this ad placed is a big event for us," explained Al Parso of the Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay United Employees group at AT&T. Mr. Parso continued, "AT&T has included sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy for nearly 20 years, but has never advertised in media that primarily serves the lesbian and gay community." Reach out and let AT&T know your thoughts: John Mellor, AT&T Media Relations, 295 N. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. Hilfiger, Nautica in Out Out magazine, a glossy national magazine aimed at the gay and lesbian market, continues to attract new national advertisers. The latest corporation to appear is Tommy Hilfiger. Continuing their ad space is Nautica cologne. Your comments may be directed to: Tommy Hilfiger, 25 W. 39th Street, New York 10018; George Feld, Nautica Cologne, Halston/Borghese, 767 Fifth Avenue, New York 10153. Check Us Out And now there are pre-printed checks for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals! Check Us Out in Oakland, CA, a women-owned business founded by Stephanie Costy, is celebrating its first year in business with production of Red Ribbon (AIDS awareness) and Pink Ribbon (breast cancer awareness) pre-printed checks. These checks add to the Triangle check (which benefits GLAAD/USA), Stop AIDS check and Symbols check. Your comments and inquiries may be directed to: Check Us Out, P.O.Box 836, San Leandro, CA 94577-0083; FAX (510) 430-8844. David Mayer, President Mayer Laboratories 231 Fallon St. Oakland, CA 94607 Copy to: GLAAD/LA Dear Mr. Mayer: I am writing you to thank you for your recent statement concerning gay and lesbian civil rights issues. It's nice to know that a product I use has a CEO and presumably a staff that care about this country and its citizens, all of them. I anxiously await your next larger size condom, as the MAXX, while much better than standard condoms, still squeezes quite a bit. Sincerely, Timothy A. Huey Tracking the Ads The Media Outreach Committee wants to inform the gay and lesbian community of advertisers who either support programs about our community or contribute to censorship of those programs, and you can help. The next time you watch television, keep a pencil and paper handy. If there is such content, jot down the name of the show and its sponsors. Then, call the information into the GLAAD/LA Hotlines: English (213) 931-9429; Spanish (213) 658-6074; FAX (213) 658-6776. If you are an advertising industry "insider" who might have access to information about advertisers who have been under boycott or hate-campaign pressure to cease advertising on programs that are lesbian and gay positive, please call us. Any information will be treated in confidence. 6) GLAAD News 1-800-GET-COKE GLAAD/USA has announced a campaign to target the Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, the host city for the 1996 International Olympic Games, and a prominent sponsor of the Games, for its refusal to denounce or disavow the decision of the Atlanta Committee on the Olympic Games (ACOG) to hold an Olympic volleyball event in Cobb County, Georgia (GLAAD/LA Reports, May '94). "To hold the Olympics in a place where lesbians and gay men are not welcomed flies in the face of the concept of dignity that the Olympics is supposed to uphold," said Ellen Carton, Executive Director of GLAAD/NY, "And so does Coke's refusal to distance itself from this kind of bigotry." GLAAD/USA will be using phone trees, newspapers columns and computer activation networks to ask lesbian and gay consumers to contact the Coca-Cola Company's 800 line (1-800-GET-COKE; 1-800-438-2653) and demand that the company change its position. Also being alerted are restaurants, bars, supermarkets and any other outlets where Coke may be available. "There will be a lot of lesbians and gay men joining the `Pepsi Generation' if the Coca-Cola Company doesn't change its tune," predicted Ms. Carton. Contact: Billy Payne, President, ACOG, P.O.Box 1996, Atlanta, GA 30301-1996, (404) 224-1901; FAX (404) 224-1969; Juan Antonio Samaranch, President, International Olympic Committee, Chateau de Vidy, CH-1007, Lausanne, Switzerland; Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition, P.O.Box 77341, Atlanta, GA 30357-1341; (404) 798-7822; Carl Lange, ED, GLAAD/Atlanta, P.O.Box 55111, Atlanta, GA 30308; FAX (404) 876-4051. Juan Antonio Samaranch President International Olympic Committee Chateau de Vidy, CH-1007 Lausanne, Switzerland Dear Mr. Samaranch: I join my colleagues in the United States Congress who have called upon the International Olympic Committee to change the venue for events scheduled to take place in Cobb County, Georgia during the 1996 Olympic Games. The Cobb County Commission has passed a resolution declaring that lesbians and gay men are unwelcome within the county. Discrimination against any person is incompatible with the spirit and ideals of the Olympic Games, and it would inappropriate for the Olympic Committee to allow any event to be held in a jurisdiction that has committed itself to bigotry and intolerance. For three decades the International Olympic Committee excluded South Africa from the Games because of its policy of apartheid. The Committee should take a similarly principled stand and find another venue in the Atlanta area that will welcome all visitors and athletes to the Games. Sincerely, Barbara Boxer U.S. Senator Stonewall 25 Calls for Cobb County March The Stonewall 25 Executive Committee is calling for one million plus persons to march into Cobb County, Georgia during the 1996 Olympic Games to protest the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games scheduling of volleyball events there. For more information contact: Stonewall 25, P.O.Box 2038, New York 10113; (212) 626-6925. 7) Opening the Closet Door at Work GLAAD/LA is seeking volunteer facilitators for "Sexual Orientation in the Workplace" seminars being conducted in entertainment, law and other companies. On August 1, 1994 GLAAD/LA and Hollywood Supports will start their third training cycle for facilitators, continuing on Monday and Wednesday evenings for three weeks, and culminating with an all day practice session on August 27. Training class size is limited to 15 people and an entry interview is required. Volunteers will be trained to co-facilitate a ninety-minute discussion on workplace issues, including myths and stereotypes about lesbians and gay men that affect us in the workplace. Volunteers are requested to deliver two seminars a month. Dozens of companies have already taken advantage of these seminars as requests from more companies pour in. If you have wanted to work with GLAAD's educational arm, if you enjoy being part of a Speaker's Bureau, then this training is for you. Become part of one of GLAAD's most effective programs. Applications are available by calling the GLAAD/LA office at (213) 658-6775. Applications will be due July 8, 1994. 8) GLAAD/LA April Forum Each month GLAAD sponsors a forum for the exchange of information and ideas that is open to the general public. The topic for April was a panel discussing the use of various new technologies to further our particular activist goals. The first panelist to speak was Mike Tidmus. Mike found out that he had AIDS in 1986. The following year he published "AIDS Stack", a Hypercard program for the Macintosh computer that organized all of the currently known information about the disease. Mike distributed his software for free on bulletin boards and Internet, he sent copies to anyone who called to asked for it. Since Hypercard technology was new, Apple didn't have much quality software that they could use to show off the potential power of the medium. They heard about Mike's work and basically used his program to demo their system. Because of Mike's attention to detail and since no one else had bothered to compile this data so succinctly before, his software quickly became one of the most widely distributed Mac datab Gays and Bisexuals. Another speaker was Keith, who started out in the music business as a punk rock promoter in New York and worked seven years at Warner Bros. records. He is now President of CompuCare, providing computer services to the entertainment industry. As an activist, Keith can trace his roots back to Vietnam protests of the early seventies in Washington D.C. He has said that "Queers in History" is a result of the combination of computer technology and political activism, with a good measure of self-promotion. He demonstrated his software that was a blend of good information and fun, since the deluxe edition contains a trivia game about gay people that can be played by four people simultaneously. The evening's moderator was Bob LaFont. Bob has been actively involved with GLAAD/LA since its beginning. Bob has served on the Board of Directors, established and maintains the local computer bulletin board system that GLAAD/LA runs, advises members about the best usage of electronic media, founded and hosts a weekly cable television show about us, "The Gay & Lesbian News Magazine," now over four years old and winner of five cable excellence awards. Bob is also the proud recipient of GLAAD/LA's 1993 Volunteer of the Year award. Discussion included our most formidable enemy, the radical right, which has a huge lead in the use of satellite transmission to promote their bigoted agendas. Just this month the Family Channel, founded and controlled by Pat Robertson, aired an hourlong program that expanded on last year's video, "The Gay Agenda," which was distributed to Capitol Hill and the Pentagon and which played a role in the "Don't ask, Don't tell" fiasco. While there are gay people currently working on the formation of a queer channel to counter Pat's "700 Club," there are other innovative avenues that the panel members discussed that don't involve television directly. The Creating Change Conference last year was instrumental in showing other gay and lesbian groups nationwide the benefits of communicating virtually instantaneously over numerous electronic networks that are already in place and very inexpensive to use. One such highway is called the Internet, created about 20 years ago by the Department of Defense as a way to communicate during times of nuclear attack. The Internet's key strength is that major sections of the hardware infrastructure can literally be blown away without causing the network to fail. This is because the network is distributed over many thousands of smaller machines that share the responsibilities of distributing messages. Access to Internet is made even more convenient today because many privately owned service companies are in place and can act as your onramp to Internet highway. Companies like CompuServe and America Online, for a few dollars a month, not only provide users with their own products and services but also allow communication between themselves and others on Internet. One such example is the Gay & Lesbian Information Forum on America Online. Just a few clicks of the mouse bring you directly into the forum which contains chat rooms, libraries of Queer activist documents, direct access to the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, even folios of photos of other activists and the men and women that they admire. Computers are not limited to communications via modems however. The Radio Shack PC sitting in your den can open whole new worlds of knowledge distributed on diskette by mail or purchased by you in the form of CD ROM at your local Wherehouse record store. They can talk and sing, they can graph and display, they can even provide you with a window into which you can see events as they happened. After the main presentations were complete the audience was invited to ask questions. The dialogue that ensued was as interesting as the formal segment. We all learned a lot from the exchange of information and ideas from everyone in the room. This forum demonstrated how stimulating and educating this type of dialogue can be. You can contact the presenters via the information superhighway at these Internet addresses: Mike Tidmus Mikki Halpin Bob LaFont America Online American Online (AOL) has been targeted by the religious right. Anti-gay AOL users have asked AOL president Steve Case to remove the Gay Teen Folder from the service. The teen folder offers a potentially life saving opportunity for g/l teens to talk to others for support and shared experiences in struggling with their sexual identities. The bigots claim that "AOL provides a bridge for children who are experiencing some sexual confusion to meet more experienced pedophiles, bestiality practitioners, sado-masochists, homosexuals and others. We need to...get this folder shut down." An article in the April 18 Newsweek, entitled "Child Abuse in Cyberspace," related a horrifying incident about a child being lured through electronic conversations by a pedophile. The possibility for abuse of electronic communication is there, but censorship is not the answer. Responsibility begins at home and AOL already has "parental control" options which allows parents to filter out objectionable electronic material. Let AOL know that gays and lesbians share the same concerns for children as anyone else, and that pedophilia, bestiality and sado-masochistic behavior is not synonymous with being gay or lesbian. Write: Steve Case, America Online, 8619 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182; (800) 544-7750. GLAAD/LA Reports Electronically If you have a computer with a modem and have access to any of these nets, you can pick up this newsletter before it goes to press. This is about two weeks before it would be delivered by mail. Use these addresses: Queer Resources Directory: qrd@vector.casti.com Soc dot Motss: soc-motss@cs.utexas.edu Gay Lesbian & Bisexual News: glb-news@brownvm.brown.edu Gaynet: gaynet@queernet.org Or you can set your modem for (213) 658-6516 and get GLAAD/LA's bbs. 9) Executive Director's Column by Lee Werbel GLAAD/LA is looking forward to the unveiling of our newest project, the GLAAD/LA Awareness Project. As you can see on page two of this issue of GLAAD/LA Reports, the project involves placing 200 bench ads at bus stops around the greater Los Angeles area. Total exposure to the benches over the three-month period is estimated to be over 172 million. June -- what a time for visibility! -- June is Gay and Lesbian Awareness Month here in Los Angeles and the 25th anniversary of Stonewall, including a historic march on the United Nations in New York City. Also, during July, 1994 Los Angeles will host the final games of the Soccer World Cup with many international visitors coming into town. Our visibility is growing but we still face the hatred and homophobia. Witness just the last two months on network television in regards to "kissing:" * An episode of the highest rated, critically acclaimed comedy series, "Roseanne," almost did not air because the network felt showing two women kissing was "not a lifestyle most people lead." * On a recent episode of "Northern Exposure," the two innkeepers (gay) got married but the close of their ceremony did not even include their sharing of the traditional kiss. * The season finale of "Melrose Place," scheduled to air on May 18 includes a scene in which Matt kisses another man and the Fox Network does not want to air it fearing they "may lose affiliates." We placed an ad in the Tuesday, May 10 issue of Daily Variety, in response to Fox's reported threat to censor part of the season finale of Melrose Place. The ad, headlined "Fox . . . Censorship is Un-American. Don't Censor The Creative Community And DonUt Censor Our Lives," is designed to draw attention to Fox's attempted censorship of gay portrayals. "As lesbians and gay men we are continually defending our right to lead our lives as freely and honestly as other Americans have the right to do. The censoring of a realistic part of an individual's life is ridiculous. It is difficult to believe a progressive network such as Fox would even hesitate to air the episode in its entirety. Why this censorship now?" The ad expresses GLAAD's outrage at the networkUs threat to censor the May 18 episode. It states that GLAAD has been pleased in the past with Fox's willingness to approach gay-themed subjects like the critically acclaimed and highly rated "Doing Time On Maple Drive." GLAAD cannot understand why Fox is backing down now. Rather than losing viewers, realistic lesbian and gay storylines in series television consistently garner high ratings. GLAAD encourages Fox to show the episode and give the American public the freedom to judge for themselves. The episode revolves around the wedding of Billy (Andrew Shue) and Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), and one of his friends is attracted to the openly gay character Matt. According to Darren Star, creator and executive producer of "Melrose Place," they have a scene in which Matt kisses the other man. Fox does not want to air the episode in its entirety fearing that they may "lose affiliates." In the past, GLAAD/LA has met with representatives from the Fox network to discuss lesbian and gay portrayals in its programming. The networkUs standard response has been that it does not control the creative component and it is the individual producers who do not include stories with lesbians and gay men. We all need to be vigilant and visible. We all need to keep fighting to ensure we are represented in the media and when we are that those representations reflect our real lives. 10 SIDEBARS Off to Stonewall The prize winning cable TV show, "The Gay & Lesbian News Magazine," will be leaving on June 12 traveling cross-country to New York and Stonewall 25. During the trip gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people will be interviewed. For more information contact: Bob LaFont, GLAAD/LA office, (213) 658-6775. TARGET HATE "Eye on the Right" is the free, bi-weekly fact sheet published by TARGET HATE, a non-profit queer collective dedicated to fighting the right wing. For more information: TARGET HATE, P.O.Box 29686, Los Angeles 90027; (213) 960-7760. G/L Film Festivals: Washington D.C.'s "One in Ten" Submissions for One in Ten's "Reel Affirmations 4: D.C.'s 4th Annual Celebration of Gay & Lesbian Films," are now being accepted for possible inclusion in their film festival, the fifth largest g/l film festival in the United States, which will run from October 13-23, 1994. For information call (202) 986-1119. India's First Ever Frameline, Trikone and the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) are presenting the first ever lesbian and gay film festival in India, which will feature a parallel g/l tour. Contact: IGLHRC, 1360 Mission St., Suite 200, San Francisco 94103; FAX (415) 255-8662. "Out About Age" "Out About Age," the first lesbigay festival for films and videos that have been produced by or about young and/or old sexual minorities, will be held on Sept. 17. Deadline for submissions is July 16. Info: Out About Age, c/o Artists' Television Access, 992 Valencia St., San Francisco 94110; (415) 864-5855. Custom Calling A recent mail campaign by Pacific Bell promoting features of "Custom Calling," carries photos of two same-sex couples with the text "designed to keep you in close touch with your partner or friends." Contact: Pacific Bell, 140 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA 94105; (800) 303-3000. Library Association The American Library Association's Gay & Lesbian Task Force has compiled an 85 page catalog available on diskette. Write: GLTF Clearinghouse, ALA Office for Outreach Services, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. More AFA The homophobic American Family Association (AFA) has targeted the Dayton-Hudson stores for carrying greeting cards designed to be sent between heteros and gays. The cards, produced by a Chicago company called Cardthartic, had the AFA newsletter exhorting its readers to write Dayton-Hudson to drop the greeting card line which is "for homosexual men and their mothers, siblings and other family members." Drop your own line to Dayton-Hudson: Kenneth Macke, CEO, Dayton-Hudson Co., 777 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402. "Belmont Beach" GLAAD/SFBA reports that a new predominantly lesbian/gay situation comedy is in the works. The AEGEA Company of Long Beach, CA has announced the development of "Belmont Beach," a comedy series that hopes to show "gay and lesbian characters as they really are." For more information, contact: Don Bledsoe, Executive Producer, The AEGEA Comany, P.O.Box 91299, Long Beach, CA 90809. New South African Constitution According to New York Times, the new interim constitution of South Africa includes the following proviso: "No person shall be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, and, without derogation from the generality of this provision, on one or more of the following grounds in particular: race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin, color, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, or language." According to highly placed gay church sources in Los Angeles, the inclusionary language was helped along by the influence of a well-known South African cleric who is gay.