Date: Fri, 6 May 1994 18:13:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Isaac Via: From: gwyn@thunder.indstate.edu (Thomas W. Holt Jr.) [ed's note: i believe the person in charge of the actual production is Heather MacDonald; the latest status that i heard was that could still use money to complete this project. if you can contribute *please* call the number below and see if they're still accepting donations. thanks! we are all painfully aware of the right wing's video, yes?] I just received in the mail an advert for a new video: "Ballot Measure Nine". It is 75 min long, and here is what the advertisement for it reads: "The provicative new video documentary Ballot Measure Nine tells the disturbing story of what happened during the 1992 campaign for Oregon's anti-gay ballot initiative. Statewide a virulent discourse on the dangers and morality of homosexuality thrived, and in this climate of lies and fear came the inveitable rise of harassment, vandalism, assault and murder of lesbians, gay men, and their supporters. Culled from hundreds of hours of material shot during the campaign, Ballot Measure Nine eloquently tells the stories of people finding new courage in the struggle of their lives. It captures the war zone atmosphere and the lives changed by the raw public discourse. It shows the religious right's attempt to dehumanize lesbians and gay men with propaganda and moralistic rhetoric. It places these attacks within the Christian Right's larger agenda, illustrating the effectiveness of their divisive 'no special rights' strategy." It is produced by Heather MacDonald, and will be available June 30, 1994 for $22.00. (Just in time for most initiative deadlines). It can be ordered by writing: BALLOT MEASURE NINE, 54 West 16th St. #12J, New York, NY 10011. Make checks payable to "Media Network/Oregon Tape Project." Notes on the success of using video in education: We have used the video Sacred Lies, Civil Truths with some success in motivating the gay community. I personally found it to be a bit too propagandistic in its protrayal of the Christian Right ( several of the techniques used by the Religious Right in their portray of queers in their videos were similarly used by the Producers of Sacred Lies, e.g.tThreatening music played as the facts about the Far Right are narrated , and the narration done by queers who were probably a little too radical for the average mid-Westerner. I hope we can use this new video as an educational and fundraising tool, showing it as a historical documentary of what can happen during these campaigns. The plan: organize a houseparty, show the video, pass the hat, talk about what you saw. Since I am also involved in organizing a statewide anti-violence project, I think that this video will be effective for fundraising for that project as well. PC Liberty and Justice for all. NO EXCEPTIONS.