| Transcript |
8 HOUSTON VOICE/ MARCH 3. 1995
Society for the Performing Arts
Presents
JOSHUA BELL, Violin
PAUL COKER, Pianist
Friday, March 10,1995 • 8:00 p.m.
Wortham Center
PROGRAM
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 6;
GRIEG, Sonata in C minor;
AARON JAY KERNIS, Air;
PROKOFIEV, Sonata No. 2
EXXON CURTAIN TALK
by Composer Aaron Jay Kernis
7:30 p.m.
BBC PHILHARMONIC
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Conducting
Sunday, March 26,1995
8:00 p.m.
Jones Hall
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ISAAC STERN, Violin
YEFIM BRONFMAN, Piano
Tuesday, April 4,1995
8:00 p.m.
Jones Hall
HAYNES AN
B
LL 227-ARTS
* : 7 " SI
by Al Kielwasser
Wrong About The Right
The Dennis Prager Show is yet another
entry in the cramped line-up of TV talk
shows. Prager presents himself as an
"intellectual." thinking person's" host. His talk show seldom features any guests, hut centers on Prager
preaching to a small audience. His
style is akin to Rush Limhaugh, though
Prager is not nearly as conservative
(or lunatic). Still, he's not all that
good, either.
On his Feb. 21 show, carried by the FOX
network. Prager took a look at the so-
called "Christian Right," Claiming
that the Christian Right suffered from
an unfair image. Prager went on to
defend certain right-wing objectives.
"Everyone is allowed to participate in American politics, except the
Christian Right," Prager claimed.
"Gays, Mac k ■*.. Hispanics...you
name the group, that's great, but not the
Christian Right. Why all this fear about
the Christian Right?"
Worst of all. Prager went on to defend
the Christian Rights anti-gay initiative efforts. Parroting right-wing
propaganda. Prager claimed that the
Christian Right is NOT against civil
rights for lesbians and gays, but "special" rights. Since when is the right to
work, rent a house or simply live without fear something "special1"
Prager suggests that the Christian
Right is only interested in equality for
all. He believes that the Christian Right
actually opposes active discrimination against lesbian and nay people.
Yet. if lesbians and gays already
enjoy all ihe rights of other citizens.
then why are "sodomy" laws still on the
hooks in over half the slates in the country? And why are caring and loving lesbian mothers still losing custody of
their children.' Of course, no one from
the Christian Right has ever worked to
overturn sodomy laws, ensure Ihe
rights of lesbian parents, or do any-
thing that would correct the homophobic inequities.
Prager informed his audience thai the
Christian Right has been unfairly
demonized. To portray the Christian
Right as vicious or totalitarian is, in
Prager's words, "wrong," "disgusting," and "Anti-American.
Clearly, Prager—who portrays himself as a "liberal thinker"—has never
done his homework on the Christian
Right, and he completely ignores the
destructive effects of their relentless
homophobia. Perhaps he might consider a novel approach to his show...and
actually think before he talks.
Send feedback to Dennis Prager,
"The Dennis Prager Show," P.O. Box
480209. Los Angeles. CA 90048. lei.
(213) 852-4532; Chase Carey, President. FOX Broadcasting, P.O. Box
900. Beverly Hills, CA 90213. tel. 310-
277-2211.
Out Of Order
The Feb. 15 broadcast of "Law &
Order" engaged in an uncharacteristic
assault on lesbian mother**. In the episode, police detectives Brisco and
Logan (portrayed h\ actors Jerry Orb-
ach and Chris Noth) interview a lesbian
couple, one of whom is pregnant. After
leaving the couple's apartment.
Logan remarks to his partner.
"Brother...and I thought 1 had it bad
being brought up by two alcoholics."
His partner snidely replies: "I wonder which mommy's going to teach him
how to smoke and drink?"
This lesbian bashing continues, as
Logan says: "Well, its the nineties. . .everyone's allowed to be gross
and disgusting, not just you. "Well,
all I know is that I had one mommy and she
did enough ball-breaking for one lifetime.
Of
telev
sion programs
should portray homophobia; it's a pervasive social disease that demands the
nation's attention. However, in this
case, the portrayal is simply gratuitous. The police officers' hateful
comments are never challenged. No
other references to lesbians and gays
occur anywhere else in the episode.
This sort of fictional dialogue is indefensible at a time when the children of
real life lesbians are being torn from
their homes by homophobic courts.
The NBC television network
recently adopted a policy against
defaming any minority group in its
programming, including lesbians
and gays. Given the recent "Law &
Order'-' episode perhaps the network
needs to reaffirm that commitment.
Contact Warren Littlelield, Vice
President of Entertainment, c7o NBC
Viewer Services, 30 Rockefeller
Plaza. New York. NY 10112, tel. (212)
664-3370 or tel. (818) 840-4444.
An Indecent Act
In whai promises to hi- on,* of man)
cfforls to censor the new "information superhighway," ihe U.S. Senate
is currently considering the "Com
muntcations Decency Act of 1995"
In effect, the act would ban sexual information on the Internet and
other online networks.
It passed, this aci would require online
services to purge "indecent" mule-
rial from public bulletin hoards and
discussion groups (and, of course, our
lawmakers routinely interpret anything lesbian-or gay-related as "indecent"). Additionally, the act would
prohibit communications with sexual content through private e-mail
between consenting adults, making
the information superhighway the
mosi censored of the communications media.
The act is currently before the Senate
Commerce Committee and your own
Senators and Representatives.
Senator Larry Pressier, Chair, Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, SR-254 Russell
Senate Office Building. Washington, DC 20510-6125, tel. (202) 224-
5842, fax (202) 224-1630. e-mail Larry
pressler.senate.gov. Contact information for your members of Congress
is available by calling (202) 224-
3121.
We must confront the media's homophobia in order to cure it! To notifj
GLAAD/SFBA of any defamatory or
affirmative media coverage call oui
24-hour media watch hotline at (415)
861-4588, or write to "Media Watch."
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defa
mation/San Francisco Bay Area. 1360
Mission Street. Suite 200. San Francisco. CA 94103; tel. (415) 861-2244.
fax (415) 861-4893. e-mail glaads-
fba@aol.com.
Continental
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