did not flood TV station phonelines, the next
attempt at portraying Rock Hudson may get a
little more frank. Let's hope so.
Rock Hudson Story: reaction
was better than miniseries
he Oregonian’s Peter Farrell assured
readers that it was “not completely
sleazy." New York Times critic John
O ’Connor warned that “gay men and their
lives...are likely to rile more than a few
viewers.” And TV Guide’s Susan Littwan
promised that the TV biography of movie star
Rock Hudson’s gay lifestyle depicted
“frankness not yet seen on prime time.”
Well, yes and no.
If you caught ABC’s miniseries on
Hudson’s life aired January 8, you know what
I mean. Typical network approach to gays
leaves most characters as one dimensional.
Thomas Ian Griffith, who hired a publicist to
make it clear to reporters and critics that he is
very much heterosexual, did a credible job
depicting Hudson. But his performance was
hampered by the cadre of writers, producers
and attorneys who made certain that not too
many viewers would find the characterization
offensive.
Griffith does not let Hudson come across
as a very sexual person, despite the fact
Hudson in real life was considered promiscu
ous. Viewers get to see Hudson hug his lover
Marc Christian and in bed at a safe distance
but that’s about it. The entire two-hour pro
duction came across awkward from a gay
viewpoint. Hudson gets to kiss his1 wife, but
he doesn’t even once get to smooch his lover.
But the miniseries was rather boring when
compared to reading the critics’ reviews. The
New York Times worried that Hudson’s
poolside party scene would convey a gay
stereotype that all queers are good looking.
Yet anyone with brains would understand that
any rich stud in Hudson’s position would
understandably pack his party with good-
lookers, male or female.
The San Francisco Chronicle critic John
Carman called the show “a current test of
network nerve on the topic of gay love” and
concluded that since ‘T V is willing to show
little...the (sexual) revolution hits a snag in the
clutch.”
And over at the San Francisco Examiner,
Joyce Millman wrote that “sometimes you just
have to laugh out loud at the excruciatingly
discreet depictions of Hudson’s love life.”
Well, the first gay show of the new decade
was better than nothing. And since viewers
T
m t
wm
•
• • Between the L in e s ...
B Y
J A C K
R I L E Y
Injustice against one, injustice
against all
espite what you may personally think of
the City Nightclub and its controversial
owner Lanny Swerdlow, we should all be
outraged that the city is considering shutting
down the teenage gay nightspot under
Portland’s so-called Drug House Ordinance.
Prompted by “numerous complaints from
parents about activities on club property,” no
less than a dozen uniformed Portland Police
officers accompanied by officials from the
Bureau of Buildings raided the club December
14.
The cops detained all 100 patrons inside
the club, searched 10 and then arrested three
on charges of possessing illegal drugs.
The Drug House Ordinance gives the city
power to seize the assets of anyone who
allows drugs to be sold on his property.
Officers at the scene believe Swerdlow allow
ed such illegal activity in his club to “increase
attendance.”
Swerdlow, of course, denied all the alle
gations. And it should be noted that the local
cops have had a hard-on for Swerdlow for
some time (he’s operated other such clubs in
years past).
What is also alarming is that the police
singled out a number of patrons in the club
that night and photographed them. It’s a
tactic that is getting a little more than over
used in Portland. (Last summer, Asians and
Blacks complained about random vehicle
D
STEPHEN D. YEW,
D.M.D.
A GENTLE APPROACH TO DENTISTRY_______
1220 N. Jantzen
Ave. Hours:
Suite 4 8 0 , Second Floor
- Saturday 8 am-5 pm
Phone:
stops and photo sessions aimed at identifying
suspected gang members.)
Don’t allow any cop to take your photo
graph for any reason. If he or she arrests you
(obstructing, disobeying or whatever) then
there exists a right to photograph you during
the normal booking procedure.
These photo-taking tactics are aimed at
harassment and intimidation and have no right
in a modem democracy. The FBI attempted
to use cameras against anti-war demonstrators
during the late 60s and early 70s. God knows
to what evil purpose such photos were used.
But it did not stop the demonstrations and it
won’t stop gays from gathering either.
Swerdlow may sue the city.
289-1215
AIDS patients clogging nation’s
emergency rooms?
he Weycrhauser Company’s in-house
health publication HealthWise claims
that “gunshot wounds, stabbings, drug over
doses and AIDS patients” are taxing the re
sources of today’s public and private hospital
emergency rooms nationwide.
Quoting one E.R. physician: “You can be
a banker and bring in six figures, but you’ll
have to wait your turn in the emergency room
if you have a car accident. You can have all
the money in the world and not get good
care.”
First of all, I highly doubt that AIDS
patients are taxing any emergency rooms here
in the Pacific Northwest and, secondly, where
does this E.R. physician get the conviction
that a well-heeled person should deserve any
better attention than someone else in any
emergency room?
T
difficulties, pain in marriage and even
homosexuality.
In a two page spread in the New York
Times, the “consultants” and “consultants in
training” of Aesthetic Realism offered
testimony from Edward Palumbo, Ph.D., who
claimed: “After spending many years
desperately looking for a way to change from
homosexuality, I at last learned...it is caused
by contempt for the world and women.
Because of what I have learned, my attraction
to men ended, and I changed from
homosexuality in six months.”
It should be noted that Dr. Palumbo is a
co-author of the book The Aesthetic Realism
o f Eli Siegel and the Change from Homo
sexuality. I have not read it, but if you want
more information about Aesthetic Realism,
contact the “consultants” at 141 Greene
Street, New York, NY 10012. Personally, I
was bom gay; I like most women; I have no
contempt for the world; and I have absolutely
no idea what Palumbo or Siegel want from
you, except your mind and your money.
Boys in the Band: 20 years of
memories
et’s see, 20 years ago we were fresh out
of the Army and getting real convinced
that we were actually gay. Summer weekends
in Seattle gave me my first experiences in so-
called gay culture.
A warm July evening in the Pioneer Dis
trict put being gay in perspective 20 years
ago. I was sitting on a barstool at the Doll
House all by m yself just watching people pass
the doorway.
Since this was my first visit to the Doll
House, I didn’t think it odd that I was the only
person sitting at that end o f the bar. Everyone
else was either down at the very dark end of
the bar or sitting at tables in the very dark far
comers of the place.
Unfortunately for me, I was to discover
that the Doll House was one regular above
Just another “cure” for
ground stop on Seattle’s famous Underground
homosexuality
Tour. Gay bars were still oddities then, so it
would happen on that night the tour of gawk
li Siegel founded a philosophy he called
ing out-of-towners would stop just six feet
“aesthetic realism” back in 1941. Essen
from my barstool.
tially, his teaching emphasize three principles:
“This is one of Seattle's notorious gay
(1) M an’s deepest desire, his largest desire,
bars\" the guide shouted into his bullhorn,
is to like the world on an honest or accurate
“Step inside if you dare.” And the crowd
basis.
surged toward the darkened doorway for a
(2) The desire to have contempt for the
better look at me. Perhaps the first gay person
outside world and for people and other objects
they’ve seen face-to-face.
as standing for the outside world, is a
With my fresh Army haircut, bluejeans
continuous, unseen desire making for mental
and T-shirt, I imagine they were a little disap
insufficiency.
pointed. I hope so.
(3) The world, art and self explain each
It’s also the 20th anniversary of the play
other: each is the aesthetic oneness of
Boys in the Band. W ouldn’t it be nice to see a
opposites.
local revival this summer? It may be filled
Well, to make a long philosophy short,
with stereotypes and flawed characters, but it
Siegel’s teachings purport to allow an indiv
is very much a part o f our gay culture and a
idual to change “negatives” in life, including
reminder that some things have changed over
loneliness, depression, boredom, learning
all those years.
w
L
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Wi
A MEMBER OF THE SEARS FINANCIAL NETWORK
SUSAN J. WILL
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An Inrtependeniy Onrned and Operated Member o* CoM w al Banker nee id a ria! AtMatee. h e
ju st out T 6 ▼ February 1990
•n M
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