ditoria
Media treatment of the recent National March on Washington illustrates the un
evenness in quantity and quality of coverage of gay events. Locally and nation
ally, this coverage problem takes two forms:• the event is not deemed newsworthy,
and important details are downplayed, » , , , , !.
Without a doubt, a demonstration of approximately 100,000 individuals demanding
their civil rights is newsworthy. Yet numerous newspapers, ranging from the
York Times to the Daily Tar Heel, nqglected to grant the march any significant cov
erage, VJhen coverage was granted, it highlighted human interest angles,rather
than political aspects. For example, the Associated Press story of a minister who
attempted to stop the progress of a trainload of gay and lesbian marchers was
printed by some newspapers while the events and goals of the march were not.
Some participants of the National March, returning home to find local papers
devoid of significant coverage of the event, may well be seeing evidence of insti
tutional homophobia. Is this the case? Perhaps. It may also be indicative of
the newness of the movement. .This popular movement of gay ^ericans resisting
discrimination is only a decade old. Institutions, and individuals alike, are
caught in a period of transition, in which old thoughts and practices are being
pulled out from under them by a minority that never before dared to speak its name.
Our response to their resulting confusion should be a didactic one. We should
instruct them in the new realities of gay pride and freedom. Let us be proud of
the coverage that we earned through our support of the National March, and let us
continue to remind the media that we are everywhere: in the news and in their
reading public.
National Resource List
The following listing is intended as an intro-
•duction to national resources for gay people. The
list is by no means comprehensive, nor does inclu
sion in it signify any endorsement by Lambda or by
the Carolina Gay Association.
t h'
■ "s' r
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
•Caucus of Gay Public Health Workers
206 North 35th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone 215—386—5327 or 631—2435.
’’Caucus of the APHA. Seeks to
establish national clearinghouse on^^
VD, alcoholism, and drug addiction."
• Gay Academic Union
Box 927, Los Angeles, CA 90028
•Gay Bibliography
Task Force on Gay Liberation
American Library Association
Box 2383
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Rates on request; include an SASE.
•National Gay Resources Institute
Washington Bldg, Suite 625
15th and New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
• Gay Nurses'^Alliance
Box 8166, UT Station
Knoxville, TN 37916
Pub: Signal.
'•Lesbian Herstory Archives
Box 1258
New York, NY 10001
Phone 212-874-7232 or 873-9443
"Rediscovering, collecting &
preserving all signs of lesbian
culture & making these available
to present & future lesbian
community." Includes books,
journals, tapes, graphics, clip
pings, and original research.
(RESOURCE, cont. p.8'>
Lambda Collective j
STAFF
Elizabeth E,
Jill S.
»
Lee Mullis
Lorien
P. Mantis
Paul Miles
• Randy Woodland
CONTRIBUTORS
Allan Troxler
D.M, Quinn
Faygele ben Miriam
Ian
Mitchell
Patty Carlisle
Special thanks to the mwman Center
for use of printina .facilities.
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