Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 21:35:41 -0400
From: Maggie Heineman <maggie@critpath.org>
Subject: SPECIAL ALERT:  Gay bashing on SportsRadio 610 WIP

The telephone number for Sports Radio 610 WIP is 922-5000

Question Posted on pflag-talk@casti.com:

>Someone told me something today that sort of disturbed me a little.  I 
>wanted to get some feedback on it and also see if people in the Philadelphia 
>area could confirm this for me.
>
>This has to do with one of the local radio stations in the Philadelphia 
>market, SportsRadio 610 WIP.  As those who follow football know, tonight's 
>Monday night game is the Philadelphia Eagles v. the Dallas Cowboys.  I have 
>heard before rumors in the popular press and other places that the 
>quarterback for Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman, is gay. 
>
>Well, the rivalry between the Eagles and the Cowboys is a big thing.  The 
>morning show people on WIP always make a big deal about stirring the crowd 
>before these kinds of games.  WIP has never been politically correct (they 
>have someone called the SportsBabe, I think).  Apparently, all week that 
>have been playing on the rumors that Aikman is gay and using that to stir up 
>the crowd.  They had done a parody of Bruce Springsteen's song, Pink 
>Cadillac, dubbing in lyrics such as Pink Quarterback.
>
>I haven't heard the show myself but apparently its pretty bad. One of my 
>straight friends asked me what I thought and when I said I hadn't heard it 
>responded: "Well you probably shouldn't listen then because they're bashing 
>[sic] pretty bad and it will just upset you."  
>
>I guess I just wanted to see if anyone else heard it.  I was sort of 
>suprised because apparently it has been going on all week and there didn't 
>seem to be any reaction from any organization within the gay community.  I 
>guess the fact that this garbage is on WIP bothers me even more because 
>their demographic is the 18-24 year olds and probably includes a lot of 
>young people coming to terms with their sexuality that don't need to hear 
>that kind of "sissy stereotype."
>
>Any suggestions on how to respond to WIP personally, would be welcome.
>
>In a unique twist, I do have one thing to report.  Apparently, the morning 
>program guys were looking for what they called mixed marriages, i.e. 
>marriages where one partner was an Eagles fan and the other was a Dallas 
>fan.  They wanted to see how they "coped."  One guy called in and said that 
>he was in a mixed marriage because he was a Eagles fan and his *boyfriend* 
>was a Dallas fan.  He told about how they watch the rivalry games in 
>separate rooms.  From what my friend said, the host was dumbfounded, he 
>barely could ask one question (which he did so sheepishly) before he 
>disconnected the call.  The host apparently apologized after the call and 
>admitted he was taken by surprise a little. :-)  Guess in his sterotypes he 
>never thought that two gay men in the whole wide world might be interested 
>in football. :-)
>
>Any thoughts?
>
>Ed
>
================

Answer posted on pa-expose@critpath.org

>Maggie, pass this on to Ed at Pflag talk:
>
>My husband is a saleman that listens to WIP when he is on the road.  He said yes, it 
>has been going on all week, and unfortunately, it is a macho sports mentality thing.  
>He said he heard several times that "Troy keeps his hands between the centers legs a 
>little too long before the snap".
>
>
>He did say that he knew it was hype to get people fired up - but it makes me want to 
>vomit.
>
>My feeling is that there has not been a public outcry, because more well rounded folks 
>dont listen to such crap.
>
>I have heard WIP on RARE occassion, and they are always distasteful. Macho men looking 
>to look more macho, perpetuating the macho image.  
>
>It is stuff that gay bashing is made of. Building on insecurity and ignorance.
>
>They also are extremely degrading to women.
>
>Hope this helps, someone should find out the stations phone #. (I dont live in Phila)
>They need to know that there are people that dont agree with their tactics.
>
>Laura Montgomery Rutt
>The Alliance for Tolerance and Freedom
>Lancaster, PA 
>===
>
>****************************************************************************
>We seek individuals and organizations within Pennsylvania who will 
>work with the Pennsylvania  Alliance for Democracy in developing the 
>Pennsylvania Expose Project which includes: 1) an unmoderated email list
>pa-expose@critpath.org, 2) a one-way low-volume list pa-explv@critpath.org,
>and 3) a fax-letter, "Pennsylvania Expose."  Write to maggie@critpath.org.
>*****************************************************************************
>

            The phone number for WIP Sports Radio is 922-5000

Please pass the word,  Maggie