Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 15:04:42 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: ELLEN "COMES OUT" FULL FORCE FALL '97 - ABC 33/40 SET TO AIR BANNED SHOW MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Liz Tracey (212) 807-1700 pager: (800) 946-4646, pin#1423527 e-mail: tracey@glaad.org ELLEN "COMES OUT" FULL FORCE FALL '97 - ABC 33/40 SET TO AIR BANNED SHOW NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 5, 1997 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that Birmingham, Alabama's ABC 33/40 is planning to air the highly anticipated fall season of the television sitcom Ellen. This past April, ABC 33/40 was the only ABC affiliate in the nation that refused to air the historic Ellen "coming out" episode, and the two subsequent episodes. This past Wednesday, ABC 33/40 aired that very same episode without comment. The new season of Ellen will begin on September 24, and early indicators point to Ellen Morgan's continuing growth into a multi-dimensional character throughout the year. In an effort to give Birmingham residents the opportunity to see the blacked-out Ellen coming out episode, Birmingham Pride Alabama and GLAAD organized a satellite downlink of the groundbreaking show at Boutwell Auditorium. With an audience of more that 2,500 people, the live screening was one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender events in Alabama history. "GLAAD is eagerly anticipating Ellen's return to primetime television. After the final episode of last season, which proved that audiences want to watch high-quality television that reflects all of America, many viewers of Ellen have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the series' return," said Joan M. Garry, GLAAD's Executive Director. "We have every reason to believe that the new season will explore Ellen Morgan's complete life, sexual orientation included." The Birmingham event was only one in a number of ways that GLAAD helped support this historic television event. GLAAD worked behind the scenes to support the show and Ellen DeGeneres, held a number of "Come Out With Ellen" parties which were attended by Ellen cast members, and helped host "Come Out With Ellen" House Parties world-wide. "By all indications this upcoming season of Ellen looks like one of the most important media event impacting the lives of lesbian and gay people in recent history," Chastity Bono, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director. "GLAAD will be there every step of the way to support the show and the community. The recent decision by ABC 33/40 shows that diversity and inclusion will win out in the end over small-minded bigotry and censorship." GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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.