News-Herald, other papers pull comic strip with gay character

The comic strip "For Better or For Worse" made news in late March when its distributor, Universal Press Syndicate, alerted editors about a five-week story line. The series has Lawrence, a 17-year-old friend of main character Mike Patterson, revealing that he is gay and agonizing over how to tell his family. His parents first kick him out, then ask him to return and say they will try to deal with his homosexuality.

The comic strip is the work of Lynn Johnston of Corbeil, Ontario. She has been producing the strip for 14 years, and it is now carried by 1,400 daily and Sunday newspapers.

But the gay subject matter has caused some editors to think about protecting their readers. The Plain Dealer has chosen to continue running the strip.

However, the weekly series was canceled by about 10 newspapers and temporarily replaced by another 30, including Lake County's News-Herald. In a notice which appeared on the comics page March 30, managing editor Talmage A. Campbell stated, "This theme is not humorous or entertaining. As social commentary, if that is what she is attempting, it fails and is inappropriate for our comics pages."

Campbell went on to say, "It is out of character for her previously outstanding work and we intend to restore the strip when it resumes the previous high quality that made it popular." Nowhere in the announcement is "this theme" of a gay coming-out story described for News-Herald readers. The weekly strip was replaced for four weeks; the Sunday version continues to run, as "it is drawn on a more appropriate theme" according to the paper.

On its April 3 letters page, the News-Herald printed 12 representative letters reacting to the suspension. An editor's note explained that the paper received 49 calls in support and 45 calls against the decision; letters received were 12 in support and 20 opposing the paper's action. Those who wanted the comic to run either suggested that it be moved to the editorial pages, like "Doonsbury," or that the small percentage of people who might take offense could simply not read it. Several letter writers questioned the "humorous or entertaining" nature of strips such as "Beetle Bailey" with its sexist stereotypes and incidents of domestic violence.

The writers who applauded the suspension generally made the argument that the funny pages are not the place for controversial subject matter.

Throughout the country, the editors of smalltown or conservative newspapers raised similar objections when they cancelled the strip or

ran substitute panels. Most objected to raising "social issues" in the comics.

One of the surprising refusals came from Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal said the series went too far for a comic. "It's not offensive at all, but it was condoning homosexuality almost to the point of advocacy," said editor Thomas Mitchell.

Author Johnston said she was surprised to learn a Las Vegas newspaper wouldn't use the series. "I figured it was a very open-minded city and a show business-oriented city with many people who would be interested in it," she said. "It's too bad articles are being written on it before it runs, because it's going to be blown out of proportion."

She said she always knew that Lawrence would turn out to be gay and now that he was 17, she felt it was the right time for him to come out. Johnston based the character on several gay people she knows, including her brotherin-law.

She said the gay teen-ager would return in future episodes, but his homosexuality probably would not be dealt with again in such detail.

Elizabeth Andersen, Johnston's editor at Universal Press Syndicate in Kansas City, Mo., said the syndicate sent letters to its subscribers about the comic strip's gay subject

matter.

"We were just alerting editors to the fact that this is a sensitive matter to some people," Andersen said. "Lynn has dealt with serious subjects before, and we sent out the letter to say this is something she feels passionate about."

Doug Kneibert, editor of The Sedalia Democrat in Missouri, said his newspaper wouldn't be running the strip because, “We are a conservative paper in a conservative town. We consider it a family comic strip and felt our readers would not appreciate this rather striking reference to homosexuality being inserted into it."

But many newspapers took the subject matter as a challenge or a worthwhile topic for their readership. The Tribune-Star in Terre Haute, Indiana ran the strip because of the family values it teaches, editor David Cox said.

"We think the message of how family members treat each other is crucial to society's health, no matter what the issue," he said. "Maybe in some small way it can foster a better understanding of a volatile issue."

The strip will continue the storyline until May.

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