HOMOPHOBIC SNAKE OIL
‘Dr. Laura’ spikes a fever of protest
By Gery Armsby
Providence, R.I., and
Boston.
New York and
Washington.
Orlando, Fla, and Atlanta. Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Chicago.
Dallas and St. Louis. Tucson, Ariz., and Denver.
Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
All over the country—
and all over cyberspace, too.
That's where you'll find lesbian, gay, bi, and trans
activists and their straight allies mobilizing to keep "Dr.
Laura" Schlessinger's bigoted rhetoric off the television
airwaves.
Many women and gay people have disdained Schlessinger's
pop-psychology radio talk show for years, with her frequent
references to gays as "biological errors" and her antagonism
to working, single and poor mothers.
But when Paramount Television announced it would schedule
a national TV show featuring Schlessinger, a grassroots
movement sprang up to demand that the show be cancelled
before it even airs.
One of the first demonstrations was held in March at
Paramount Studios in Hollywood. It drew hundreds. An April 15
protest in Chicago and one in San Francisco May 7 each drew
about 100 people.
The momentum has been building at subsequent rallies,
bringing fired-up crowds.
A May 24 protest in downtown Boston began at rush hour
with activists passing out leaflets to commuters and
shoppers. By 6 p.m. a crowd of nearly 400 had gathered for a
rally.
Speakers included organizer Stacey Montgomery and Wanbo
Woo of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Representatives from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
and the Fenway Health Community Center also addressed the
demonstration.
Protesters chanted, "Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Dr. Laura's got to
go!" and, "2-4-6-8, Channel 5, stop the hate!" WCVB Channel 5
has a contract with Paramount to broadcast Schlessinger's
show this fall.
'They are feeling the pressure'
Workers World spoke with Montgomery, a transsexual woman
and member of the Boston Lesbian Avengers. Asked whether the
ABC-TV affiliate was likely to pull Schlessinger's show off
the lineup, Montgomery said, "We're not sure exactly where
they stand right now, but one thing is for certain--they are
definitely feeling the pressure from us."
Montgomery said the Lesbian Avengers will take the message
"Stop Dr. Laura" to the streets again at their annual Dyke
March June 9.
A New York speak-out against Schlessinger was held June 5
outside WCBS-TV. The action was sponsored by a coalition
including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Discrimination, Empire State Pride Agenda, National
Organization of Women-New York, Gay Men of African Descent
and People of Color in Crisis.
In answer to those arguing in favor of Schlessinger's
"free speech" rights, speakers pointed out that nobody has a
First Amendment right to a national television program. Even
less should anyone have the right to promote oppressive and
reactionary lies about women and gays, as Schlessinger
does.
Activists have launched a Web
site--www.stopdrlaura.com--to distribute up-to-date
information and materials to organizers working to keep
Schlessinger off TV and get her off the radio.
Five national groups, including NOW and GLAAD, ran
full-page ads in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times May
24 urging advertisers not to buy ad time during
Schlessinger's shows.
In May Procter & Gamble canceled its commercials
during Schlessinger's upcoming TV show and the current radio
program. Lesbian, gay, bi, trans and straight P&G
employees had demanded it.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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