I:F Press Release - WLMT / WPTY Coverage of "Lesbian Gangs"
On the evening of February 28, 2007, WLMT (CW30) and WPTY (ABC24) Eyewitness News aired a feature segment entitled "Violent Femmes." The Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center's Public Policy Committee, Initiative: Fairness (I:F) first learned of the feature segment through teaser ads on television, radio, and the stations' web site. When I:F first saw the teaser, we were deeply troubled by the content and feared the story would undoubtedly attack and stereotype gay people.
Concerned citizens responded to the potentially defamatory coverage with direct contact to station management prior to the segment airing. When the final product aired, our worst fears were not realized, but our best hopes for positive coverage of gay people were far from achieved. Eyewitness News may have intended to present a story that seeks to protect children, but I:F cannot condone the two stations' sensationalist and demeaning approach to covering this topic.
Eyewitness News failed to present a balanced portrayal of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) citizens of the Midsouth – citizens who also value the safety and welfare of their own children and family. Eyewitness News promoted irrational fear and negative stereotypes of lesbians in the segment by interviewing lesbians who were in prison and by including violent bathroom scene reenactments of young girls under attack by other girls. Rather than focusing on the criminal behavior of gang members, the segment drew absurd connections between criminal activity and sexual orientation.
GLBT citizens share the same concerns as other Memphians about youth involvement in gang activities. Criminal gangs are never appropriate groups for children, especially children who are vulnerable or may have questions about their sexual orientation or gender identity. In a city like ours, it is irresponsible and harmful for media outlets to portray any group, especially those rarely shown by the media, in a negative light.
I:F continues to be concerned about how the Memphis media incorporates misconceptions about sexual orientation and gender identity or expression into their reporting. We will closely monitor their reporting. As Rashaad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs for GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) states, "It is unfortunate that after repeated phone conversations between GLAAD and ABC24 and CW30’s management the station was unable to see beyond their need for ratings. The coverage of “lesbian gangs” failed to provide any documentation to back its claims, demonized an entire community and proposes no solutions. Ultimately, the segment was little more than a sweeps-month stunt that abandoned basic journalistic integrity and ethics in favor of lurid tabloid sensationalism."
Our media in Memphis must work to shed light on the positive and diverse corners of our community. The media ignores many important stories about GLBT citizens. Where are the stories about law abiding GLBT citizens of Memphis? Where are the stories about GLBT citizens living in fear in Memphis? Where are the stories about how Memphis is only one of six cities in the US this size or larger that do not have citywide non- discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression? Where are the positive stories about the increasing number of companies in the Midsouth that protect their GLBT employees?
Chris Sanders, Chairman and President of Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) states, "TEP joins I:F and GLAAD in expressing serious concerns about the sensationalist way in which this story was promoted prior to its airing. While the topic of youth violence concerns us all, the portrayal of lesbian youth as violent and predatory is inflammatory and divisive. What we need is greater understanding that can lead to solutions to the problem."
I:F commends the following legitimate organizations that seek to promote the health and well being of children and families:
• Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) provides helpful resources to parents, families and friends of lesbians and gays (Memphis Chapter: 901-682-8709, www.pflagmemphis.org, E-mail: gidrdrake@aol.com).
• Memphis Area Gay Youth (MAGY) is an affirming, youth run, adult advised, multi-cultural support group for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) youth ages 13- 20 in the greater Memphis area (www.magyonline.org).
I:F urges concerned citizens to contact WLMT and WPTY to express their concerns about the irresponsible portrayal of GLBT citizens in their story:
Eyewitness News ABC24 and CW30
2701 Union Avenue Extended
Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 323-2430
Jim Turpin
News Director
jturpin@myeyewitnessnews.com
Bridget Lovelle
Assistant News Director
blovelle@myeyewitnessnews.com
Lisa Lovell
Executive Producer
llovell@myeyewitnessnews.com
For more information contact:
Tommy Simmons or Jonathan Cole, Co-Chairs of MGLCC’s Initiative Fairness at if@mglcc.org
Chris Sanders, Chairman and President of Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) at chris@tnequalityproject.com
Alex Shoor of Gays and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) at shoor@glaad.org
About MGLCC's Initiative: Fairness
Initiative: Fairness (I:F) is the public policy committee of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Committee Center (MGLCC). I:F aspires to inform, unite, and inspire the Memphis Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning (LGBTQ) community, in a non-partisan and non-threatening environment, to become more politically aware of issues and processes affecting our community.
The Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) working to create a better future for the GLBT community in the Mid-South. It offers an array of diverse GLBT services by utilizing the talents, energy, and resources of its members and surrounding community.
