This Way Out; 87

Derogatory comments about homosexuals such as like Faggot, Lesbo, Dyke, they get even nastier using all sorts of profanity and interesting terms that probably none of you people have ever heard. We start in the 1718th century and that is because from that time we have a lot of records from how Gays and Lesbians organize themselves that there is a whole subculture already in Harlem. The reason the media was slow to get on the story is because they saw it as a gay story. We can look at the language that mainstream media use and covering the AIDS story they often talk about the general populace as if Gays are not in the general populace. Welcome to this way out, the International Lesbian and Gay Radio Magazine. I'm Lucia Chappelle and I'm Greg Gordon, a fair analysis of AIDS media coverage. Dutch Gays and Lesbians take stock of their histories but New Yorkers have trouble keeping track of all of their bigotries. All that and more

because you've discovered this way out. I'm Donald Herman and I'm Sandy Dwyer. With NewsRap, a summary of some of the news in and affecting the gay and lesbian community for the week ending November 26, 1989. For the first time in any lawsuit that I'm aware of, present duty police officers, that is officers who are actively engaged in the employment of Los Angeles Police Department, are joining in this lawsuit because of their harassment that they have seen that has been visited upon Gays and Lesbians in the LA Police Department. People who are perceived as friends of Gays or Lesbians, people who are perceived whether truthfully or not as being Gays or Lesbians and their desire to stop that harassment. Two active duty Los Angeles police officers have joined in the lawsuit originally

filed by ex -police sergeant Mitch Grobson, alleging harassment, intimidation and threats because they are perceived to be gay or lesbian. Grobson filed his lawsuit in October 1988 after resigning from the force because he felt his life was in danger from other officers. More than once, officers failed to come to Grobson's aid when he was in life threatening situations. Both of the active officers filed suit under pseudonyms because they fear that other officers in the department will retaliate against them. The attorneys for the officers have filed a request for a protective order to prohibit harassment and intimidation of any witnesses or plaintiffs in the case. One of the anonymous officers granted interviews provided the media did not see her face. While she has never acknowledged being a lesbian to the police department, rumors began to circulate that she was when she was at the police academy. She explains what the harassment is like. I walk up into a conversation, backs are turned and if the backs aren't turned, it's an immediate. Everybody walks away from me type of thing. The derogatory comments about homosexuals such as

like Faggot, Lesbo, Dyke, they get even nastier using all sorts of profanity and interesting terms that probably none of you people have ever heard. In that context, it's a scary thing because you realize that if people, meaning officers or supervision or other administration finds out, you're going to have problems promoting, you have problems getting jobs within the division that you like to, you're going to have problems being part of the group, which is very important when you're a police officer. It's a continual life endangering situation. I chased somebody for 15 minutes and requested backup several times in excess of 15 minutes without any backup at all. The suit alleges that anti -gay discrimination is fostered and promoted from the very top of the department by police chief Darrell Gates and assistant chief RL Vernon. Attorney Dan Stormer, who represents the officers explains. We have in our court pleadings shown literally dozens of examples of disgusting behavior that is not only allowed but supported by the

leadership in the Los Angeles Police Department. That attitude is probably most prominently displayed in the number one and number two people within that department. It is most egregious because those are the people who are by law empowered and required to uphold the law and they have because of their own personal police chosen to ignore what the law has required and what the law still requires. That was Attorney Dan Stormer, representing officers suing the Los Angeles Police Department for anti -gay policies and actions. Rodney Johnson, a gay man, was walking home from his job at a restaurant when he was confronted by several use laying and weight with baseball bats. As Johnson was beaten, his attackers shouted, die, fake it, die. On November 17th, a Washington, D .C. jury convicted two self -proclaimed skinhead gang members of armed robbery and attempted murder.

A third man, who was also indicted, is still being sought by authorities. The criminal convictions came two months after Johnson filed a multi -million dollar civil lawsuit against eight members of the skinhead gang, claiming the skinheads violated his civil and constitutional rights by conspiring to attack him solely because he is gay. Pacific Bell, which serves the states of California, Nevada, agreed to establish a yellow page's telephone information directory heading entitled, Gay and Lesbian Organizations, and the director is distributed in the two states. The decision came after a meeting between Byron Pots of the gay and lesbian alliance against affirmation of San Francisco and Janet Isley, supervisor of Pacific Bell's Yellow Pages Heading Group. Unlike a similar request in New York City, there was no need for demonstrations or protests by gay men and lesbians to institute the change. The Pacific Bell policy took effect on all yellow pages sales campaigns begun after November 13th. An apology is being demanded from the magazine Metal Edge for publishing two photographs of the lead singer for the heavy metal

rock group Skid Rowl, wearing a t -shirt with the phrase, AIDS Kills Fags Dead. The Los Angeles chapter of the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation, Glad, wrote a letter to Metal Edge managing editor Jerry Miller, who was pictured with the wearer of the offensive t -shirt, singer Sebastian Bach. The letter read, in part, by having run the photos, you are condoning the countless acts of violence against gays and lesbians that occur every day. You are as guilty as Sebastian Bach of promoting such a reprehensible message. The use of condoms continues to be controversial within the Roman Catholic Church. From AIDS and Focus, here's Mary Van Clay. A thin sheath of latex now officially separates American bishops and the medical community. At their annual conference in Baltimore this month, Catholic bishops approved a proposal that rejects education about condoms as a means to stop the spread of AIDS. Father Kenneth Doyle, with the U .S. Catholic Conference, explains what the vote means for AIDS education in Catholic schools. There should not be a discussion of

condoms as a preventive for AIDS. If the issue comes up, it should be pointed out that this is neither a medically safe means nor morally acceptable because that would condone sex outside of marriage. The bishops did call for compassionate treatment of people with AIDS, but their stance on condoms has been fiercely attacked by many members of the medical and Catholic communities. Critics of the statement are afraid that teenagers experimenting with sex will be especially endangered by the lack of education. Father Doyle says that fear is a poor reason for the bishops to change their stance. Catholic bishops are called upon to speak as moral teachers and moral leaders in society and not to settle for a standard of behavior which is less than acceptable. But critics counter that the bishops are not reacting to the real world. Wayne April is a board member of Dignity San Francisco, an organization of gay and lesbian Catholics. If you're living in the real world, you'd want to stop diseases, the spread of diseases, and one of the ways to stop the spread of AIDS is to advocate the use

of condoms and church refuses to do that. So I think the church is being morally irresponsible. However, April also pointed out that when it comes to sex and birth control, many Catholics choose to ignore church doctrine. In San Francisco, I'm Mary Van Clay. The civil rights department of the state of Minnesota ruled that the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul violated the Minneapolis Civil Rights Code by refusing to renew the lease of the meeting place for Dignity, an organization of gay and lesbian Catholics. The Minneapolis Civil Rights Code prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. In 1987, Archbishop John Roach decided not to renew Dignity's lease because of that a cond doctrine. Dignity now hopes to recoup their legal fees and negotiate an apology from the archdiocese. A monument dedicated to the gay men and lesbians persecuted by Nazis and fascists will be officially unveiled at the fourth annual conference of the National Gay and Lesbian Group RC Gay in Bologna,

Italy, next April. And finally, health officials in Cataba County, North Carolina have suspended distribution of 2 ,500 copies of their safe sex poster. Residents will be given the opportunity to debate the merits of the poster before the officials make a final decision on whether to release it. Opponents say it is in bad taste, while supporters feel it is fine and has a catchy slogan. The poster, which has not been released to the public, shows an empty pair of blue jeans with an open zipper. Underneath the jeans is the phrase, if you can't keep it zipped, keep it covered. That's NewsRap for the Weekending November 26, 1989, written by Sandy Dwyer of The News, serving the greater Los Angeles area, with contributions from other gay and lesbian publications and broadcasts throughout the world. Remember, an informed community is a strong community. Find out what's happening in your area by monitoring your local gay and lesbian media. For this way out, I'm Sandy Dwyer, and I'm Donald Herman.

With the news commentary, here's Karen Schwartz of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Affirmation, New York. Prejudicial attitudes are developed early in life, which is why it is so crucial that the nation's school system teach tolerance and acceptance of difference at an early age. Yet, New York State is about to distribute almost half a million prejudice fighting pamphlets in the state's school children that contain no mention of anti -gay and anti -lesbian bigotry. Titled Hate Can Heart Let's Stop Prejudice, the pamphlet was developed by the Anti -Defamation League as part of its prejudice reduction campaign, a world of difference. And like many of the materials developed by the ADL, the pamphlet discusses bigotry against ethnic, racial, and religious groups, but leaves out gays and lesbians. Ironically, a pamphlet that is supposed to fight bigotry may ultimately serve to reinforce the belief that homophobia is different from other forms of bigotry, and therefore acceptable. We are in regular contact with the ADL to solve this problem. Today, however, we ask you to focus on the state.

New York State has no business distributing materials which are inherently biased. The Department of Education claims that it is impractical to pull 400 ,000 copies of a pamphlet that has already been printed. We question the expense and efficacy of distributing a prejudiced fighting pamphlet that is itself prejudicial. They also claim that pamphlet is basically defensible since its wording is generic. We wonder what they mean by generic since the pamphlet explicitly and repeatedly refers to the trio of ethnicity, race, and religion, omitting sexual orientation. Finally, they claim that the pamphlet is being distributed under the state's affirmative action guidelines, as opposed to under non -discrimination guidelines. As gays and lesbians are not included under the state's affirmative action plan, materials produced under it need not apply to us. This last argument is an obvious attempt to evade our argument entirely. We urge you to protest the impending distribution of this pamphlet by writing to Thomas Sobel, Commissioner of Education, New York State Department of Education, Education Building,

Room 111, Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234. If you missed the address and you'd like to write a letter, please call glad at the number I'll be giving you in a moment. You have been listening to naming names, a regular program of glad the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation. To report defamation, call us at 212 -966 -1700 or write to us at 80 Varick Street, number 3E, New York, New York 1013. Naming names is produced by Rosemary Reed. This is Karen Schwartz for naming names. This is Jamie Claren for this way out. And I'm here at the Amsterdam Historic Museum in Amsterdam, sitting in what used to be the boy's courtyard of an orphanage. I'm here to talk about the opening of a new exhibition dedicated to gay and lesbian lifestyles over the past three centuries. It's called Kutfakir, or in

English, two of a kind, and sitting with me is Parfistlata, who's one of the coordinators of the exhibition. Kutfakir equals two of a kind. Two of a kind. He didn't translate it more literally, something like a positively queer or... We thought about that, but people had different meanings about what was the real meaning of the world queer, and there were a lot of people who said, well, it's so negative in England or in America, we can do that, so that maybe that would be misunderstood. And the word for care, which actually is, you know, means the other way around, the wrong way around. Yes. He doesn't have that implication in Dutch. No, does it? I don't know. You tell me. It's better Dutch than I do. No, but it's for kids. That's what they always say about gay people. That's for kids, no, and who that's the implication that they are. Okay. I don't know how you can translate that quite well, the other way around, you know. The exhibition is on at the Amsterdam Historic Museum for four months. That's quite a major exhibition. It's taken you a while to prepare. Yeah, I think for me, it took one and a half year, and

there were several people before me already who took the initiative, and that was in 84 already. You've actually organised, in a sense, two exhibitions in the sort of sections for men and women. To some extent, were separately created, weren't they? No, not really. We had the thought that from the beginning that we wouldn't make a separate exhibition, and men's world, and women's world, are very separated in many levels, and that's for gays, and lesbian too, of course. But I think it's very much integrated in the whole exhibition. You don't walk around and you see to the left the man and to the right of women. When you talk about homosexuality, it's an abstract idea, which only exists 100 years, above us is this word homosexuality, and that brings us together. So, when you talk about this psychiatrists and this medicine history, then you have, of course, the same kind of history. What are the earliest examples you got? Well, we start in the 1718th century, and that is because from that

time, we have more a lot of records from how gays and lesbians organise themselves, contacted each other. But these are mostly taken from court records and things like that? Yes, yes. Well, thanks to them, you have those stories, because you wouldn't find them in other sources, and they really tell a lot of stories about that there is a whole subculture already in Holland in the 18th and 17th century. But people presumably weren't formally organised in that period, so when did gay organisations start? Gay organisations started in Holland in the beginning of this century in 1912, and that was after there was new legislation in Holland, which was the only legislation which discriminated homosexual people. And well, from that legislation, there came a movement which was called the Enveyor Car, Jakob Skor started this organisation, and it lasted until the German occupation in the 40s, and Skor was visited by the Germans and the whole library

of the Enveyor Car, which was really an important library, was brought to Berlin. But Skor kept him at his home, maybe he was too old, I don't know. And well, this whole library, there are fun pieces of it, later in the Kinsey Institute. Oh, what have they got there? Well, they never really told how they, but it's true story. And from the witness of people and from their experience, they suffered more after the second World War, because the oppression then was much more harsh in their lives. That's also the period, though, when the COC, the National Gay organisation started to get underway, and actually she's got stills from one of their early home movies up there. What did the COC mean as it started to organise? Well, the importance was, of course, that it existed. The idea that such an organisation could exist, and that they had their own meetings, their own evenings, their own clubhouse, and they could make their own magazine and go

out publicly. That was important. Amongst the exhibitions you've got postcards, you've got videos, you've got slideshows and photographs and paintings, what's your personal favourite exhibit? Oh, that's difficult, well, no, it's not so difficult to say. For me, the most nicest thing was the glasses which I found from the 18th century, which have engraved the statues of David and Jonathan in the text Amesitia. Excuse me for being so ignorant, but what is Amesitia and friendship? Friendship. Those glasses must have given friends to each other, because David and Jonathan refers to the episode of the Bible, you know, we're standing at David's loft, Jonathan, more than women, you know, that kind of thing. It's not the bit they usually quote when they're talking about gay, is it? Well, yeah, it must be, you know, Holland is a very religious country, so they used David and Jonathan and other countries

that use more Greek figures per person, and they are so beautiful, and those things exist, you see them, those two figures, David and Jonathan, really kissing on those glasses, and they never knew that those exist. So I have them for this exhibition, I'm very glad, I'm very happy with it. Now this exhibition runs for four months. The question always comes up, who do you want to come and say it? Everyone. I mean, I've gone for an international audience, you have English texts on the exhibits. Yeah, we try to make it interesting too for English -speaking people or people who understand the English, so they know what's been shall be. Of course we couldn't have done it really on every piece and everything, but because a lot of tourists have visited Amesitia and I'm quite sure that when they hear about the exhibition that they want to see it, I would do it when I would have been in another country. Now there's one last thing I have to ask, because I know that this has been a problem even in Amsterdam when there have been

gay exhibitions before, especially in this museum which is predominantly dedicated to the history of the city, and it's probably in that sense one of the museums which tourists visit most often. Yes, family. What sort of reaction do you expect your average heterosexual tourist family to have to this exhibition? I really don't know. You know, if we start this tablo with this 24 portraits made by Urban All of Anonymous Lane Lawrence of Lesbians and Gay Man, and one of the things that I thought before was when we made a concept, we have to put some newt in it, because when people don't like that, they can already turn with the first tablo and walk out. Then they know what they're in for if they carry on into the exhibition project, yeah. Thanks very much for speaking to us. Good luck with the exhibition. Thank you. It's running till February the 25th. Okay. In the Amsterdam Historic Museum in Amsterdam, come around and see it. This is Jamie Claren signing off for this way out. In the port of Amsterdam,

in the port of Amsterdam. This is Charles Pierce as Betty Davis here to rematch you that you're listening to this way out. The International Lesbian and K Radio Magazine, how nice. With Greg Gordon and Lucia Shapel. We're often asked how many listeners do you have, or does anyone who's not gay or lesbian tune in? Since we don't think our ratings can be determined by conventional methods, we count on you to let us know you're out there. Your cards or letters tell us and the many volunteers whose program contributions make this way out possible that we are reaching, informing and entertaining you. And because this way out is available free of charge to almost 300 public radio stations in the US

via the National Public Radio Satellite Service, sometimes the only way we know for sure that we're being heard in a particular city is when we get a letter from that area. Please address your comments, suggestions or questions to this way out. Post Office Box 38327 Los Angeles, California 900038. Once again, that's Post Office Box 38327, Los Angeles, California 900038 USA. And thank you. With some thoughts on mainstream media coverage of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, here's Mike Alkale from AIDS in Focus. Media plays a major role in how we perceive the AIDS epidemic, television, radio and newspapers on the main sources of information that shape our view of the world. Most of these

sources at least in the US are now controlled by less than 25 large corporations. Jeff Cohen is Executive Director of Fair, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a New York -based liberal group that looks at media with a critical eye. Cohen offers us this commentary on media's role in the epidemic. Not only does the beginning of the AIDS epidemic coincide with the Reagan era, it coincides with a major shift of the news media to the right, a major appearance of the Buchanan's and Novaks and McLaughlin's as the leading commentators, George Will on American television. Let's not forget that Bill Buckley's contribution on the AIDS issue was to say that people that had AIDS should have their rear ends tattooed the only government that I'm aware of that actually carried out that policy that Bill Buckley was recommending is the Nazi regime in Germany in the late 30s and early 40s.

There's so few voices in general that are progressive explains why there has been no individual really in American television that's crusaded on this issue. You have the Patrick Buchanan's and Buckley's and Novaks who crusade for the contres. They crusade for Jonah Savimbi. They crusade for big business and getting their taxes cut, but since there aren't progressive commentators on American television, there hasn't been one that has crusaded that silence equals death. I mean, let's face it, there's no mystery anymore that the reason the media was slow to get on the story is because they saw it as a gay story and there aren't many gays that have power in the mainstream media. I mean, look at the language that mainstream media use in covering the AIDS story, they often talk about the general populace as if gays are not in the general populace. I think one of the shames of the coverage, one of the real tragedies in mainstream media coverage is for years they could only bring themselves to write a major

story on it if they dealt with the perceived threat to heterosexuals. Net to me was almost as disgusting as no coverage at all. And I think the consciousness has been raised, frankly, I think that it's not just the enormity of the crisis, but that's one factor. I think the other factor is that there are groups, for instance, the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation, the real militant group, act up. These are groups that have carried on a dialogue with the media and put the story in their face when the media didn't want to hear it. And if it hadn't been for the media relations work, the very militant media relations work of these groups, I think the media would have ignored it for that many months further. But my feeling is, unless you bring pressure to bear, the media doesn't move. And that commentary by Jeff Cohen of Fair, Fairness and Accuracy in reporting. In San Francisco, this is Mike Alcale. You who poisoned the airwaves with gengus can't use.

You broadcast your bias and call it the news. You say that you speak for the millions out there and deny that you're lighting a dangerous fuse. Well, you don't speak for me. No, you don't speak for me. You don't speak for me. You don't speak for my friends. We've followed that line, we've seen where it ends. In tolerance, hatred, division, and strife, you don't speak for me. You who marched in your hundreds of thousands of peace. You have probably taken a prisoner's release. You fight the injustice of women, if not, you speak for me. You who come back to partake wherever it's seen. You struggled to keep the unique forest green. You fight for the rights of all people in chains. You speak for me. Yes, you speak for

me. You speak for me. Thanks for choosing this way out, The International Lesbian and Gay Radio Magazine. This week, Sandy Dwyer and Donald Herman, Mary Van Clay, Karen Schwartz, Mike Alculey, and Jay McClaren contributed program material. Judy Small saying, you don't speak for me, and Kim Wilson composed and performed our theme music. Satellite distribution of this way out is made possible through a grant from the Chicago Resource Center. Production expenses have been paid for in part by a grant from the Imperial Movie Capital Court of Hollywood. We'd like to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or questions you might have. Address to this way out, post office box 38327, Los Angeles, California 90038. This way out is produced by Greg Gordon and Lucia

Chappelle, and we thank you for listening on CFRO Vancouver, WBAI New York, and KKFI Kansas City, among others, and for supporting this local community radio station. They all ought to stay tuned.