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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2000)
juiy7.2ÛQQ'|MKMK.23 D p . Laura to set Portland straight on KGW-TV Continued from Page 21 Schlessinger also believes that the usual bankrolling behind the “gay agenda” is support ing the national movement. But Tyler says this movement has survived on ltss than $10,000 raised by T-shirt sales and one individual donation. Tyler says Schlessinger’s rhetoric is danger ous and has hit a nerve in the gay community. “Our community is saying ‘enough,’ ” Tyler exclaims. “The more cities we get, the more the spon sors are hesitant about sponsoring her,” she adds. “W e’d love to do Portland in August.” Major cities throughout the country have held protests during the late spring and early summer and more have summer protests sched uled, including Cincinnati; Kansas City, Mo.; Providence, R.I.; Orlando, Ha.; Minneapolis; and Houston. “Would you give David Duke a cooking show.7” Tyler asks. “W hat if he didn’t say any thing racist.7” Tyler says she posed those questions to the There haven’t been any local advertisers general manager of KING in Seattle and he who have pulled their ads, Buratti says. She replied, “O f court not! He’s a known racist.” would not name any Portland-area advertisers Tyler wants to know what the difference who have purchased time during the Dr. is— is it OK to promote a known homophobe Laura broadcast but confirmed that there is no but not a known racist.7 shortage of companies wanting to buy time. Some general managers have offered a “bal anced programming” rationale, but Tyler doesn’t nother matter of contention is Sch buy that. lessinger’s use of the title “Dr.” Critics “There is no such thing as ‘equal time’ for big believe that the popular radio host dishes otry,” Tyler says. “Equal time is not giving us a out advice and opinions in a context that spot on some bigot’s show, where they make millions, and we get the time to define ourselves.” Major cities throughout the country have She adds: “It’s not about Dr. held protests during the late spring and Laura. It is about corporations profiting from hate" early summer and more have summer Schlessinger and her support protests scheduled, including Cincinnati; ers insist that gay activists are trying to take away the talk show Kansas City, Mo.; Providence, R.I.; host’s freedom of speech. But most who are offended by S ch Orlando, Fla.; Minneapolis; and Houston lessinger’s comments say they support her right to speak what suggests she has psychological or psychiatric she believes. They assert, though, that they also credentials. Schlessinger has neither. While have the right to object to the content of Sch Schlessinger holds a doctorate in physiology, lessinger’s show and have the freedom to dis she has no mental health credentials or train courage advertisers, just as conservatives have ing. done with any number of television shows, The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against including A B C ’s Ellen. Defamation is extremely concerned about the It’s not about free speech, Tyler insists, it is views on homosexuality that Schlessinger about greed. A broadcasts to millions. Yet G LAA D contends that Schlessinger shouldn’t be compared to religious or political leaders who often attempt to influence others with anti-gay speech. Sch lessinger’s listeners, and soon her viewers, look at her as a person who is an expert, because she is a “doctor." Tyler and others think that when someone dehumanizes gays by using terms like “biologi cal errors” and “deviant,” hate crimes against gays increase. Schlessinger, meanwhile, adamantly denies that she called homosexuals deviants, but admits that she described homosexual behavior as “deviant.” Schlessinger also refutes claims that she has called gays “biological errors,” although she says it is an inarguable fact that homosexuality is a biological error and is abnormal. She says some people just don’t want to hear the truth. The 2,000 mostly gay and lesbian physicians and medical students of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association also are worried. The group says that as national murder rates have decreased, murders of sexual minorities have increased— by 150 percent in the last two years. Last month, the Portland Police Bureau reported that issues surrounding sexual orienta tion motivated 25 percent of the bias crimes reported during May. Bias crimes relating to sexual orientation account for 28 percent of the total bias crimes reported from January $ 42,0 0 0 • Court Reporting $61,950 avg. income • Medical Transcription Work at Home rlorist 2005 NE 42nd Avenue Portland, O R ?72l> 2 Blocks North of Sandy (5 0 3 ) 2 4 9 -1 8 8 8 (800) 843-6793 Schedule your appointment today with: C h r i s t i n a S ig w a r t 503256-3700 0LDS-ISUZU-V0LKSWAGEN-USED clsigwart@hotmail.com 122nd & East Burnside www.vwcity.net • Corrections Officer High Demand CALL 800 . 342.3465 C ollege of L egal A rts P o r t la n d , O rego n www.collegeoflegalarts.com through May of this year. But the figures may not fully repre sent the violence that sexual minorities are experiencing on the streets of Portland. Some police officials believe crimes against sexual minorities are vastly underreported. G LM A members are also concerned that anti-gay speech framed in a clinical context drastically affects teens who are attempting to understand their sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian youths are said to commit suicide at a rate three times that of their heterosexu al peers. And Oregon has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Time’s Jeanne McDowell, who interviewed Schlessinger, evidently was confused about the radio host’s credentials. Referring to Schlessinger as “the sharp-tongued psy chotherapist” in her article’s lead paragraph, she demon strated the likelihood that Schlessinger’s radio and future television audience will continue to consider her more than a physiologist. Schlessinger may be sharp-tongued— in fact, she readily admits that she nags and can be angry and irritated. But Dr. Laura is not a psychotherapist, though some of her critics insist she may need one. ■ For more information about starting a Portland chapter o f S top D r L aura .COM, contact Robin Tyler at (818) 893-4075 or rtstopdrlaura@aol.com, or call Lynn Thomas at (503) 274-1741. J onathan K ipp is a Just Out staff reporter and doctor o f love. W hether it’s freedom of speech or free dom of religion, the First Am end ment is often talked about but sel dom read. Here is the exact wording: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assem ble, and to petition the Qovemment for a redress of grievances. Your Vancouver Realtor! Knowledgeable Enthusiastic Dedicated Negotiator Buyers & Sellers KEN SPURLOCK, GRI Multi-Million Dollar Producer WWW.JOHNLSCOTT.COM/KENNITHS Call 360-901-4944
