24
GAY PEOPLE's ChroNICLE
AUGUST 18, 1995
ON THE AIR OFF THE PRESS
Cleveland homophobic radio mouth is now heard in Toledo
by John Graves
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that “Jammin' 92" WZJM-FM DJ Johnny Dimodica has left that station without giving notice to join the staff of Toledo's WVKSFM 92.5. Dimodica, better known as "Johnny D," has been disciplined by WZJM and its predecessor WZAK several times in the past for his homophobic comments. Most recently, Dimodica was suspended for saying that Greg Louganis should change his name to "Loose Anus" after the Olympic diving champion revealed that he was gay and living with AIDS.
As half of the station's morning drive time team, "Johnny D" would often take an antigay position when the show's call-in topic dealt with gay or AIDS issues. Thankfully, "Johnny D's" homophobia was balanced by his co-host, LeeAnn Summers, who was very supportive of our community and its issues and who would often argue the point very knowledgeably on the air. Summers' knowledge and fairness underscored "Johnny D's" bigotry and ignorance and, hopefully, the show's new co-host will be more like her.
Greg Louganis took on his most challenging theater role on August 8 when he began starring in openly gay TV actor Dan Butler's one-man show, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me at New York's offBroadway Actors' Playhouse.
On the national radio scene, USA Today reports that Nashville radio station WSIXFM DJ Chuck "Hoss" Burns has become the first well-known country music personality to reveal he is living with AIDS. According to the report, Burns said that he made the announcement because he had "told my friends, told my family, told my work, and told my mother. It was time to tell everyone
else." Burns, who is writing a book about living with HIV, said, "I hope to end the hate and judgement, because anyone can get this illness. AIDS has brought me closer to my friends and family and my work and my church. All aspects of my life have been enriched."
TV Guide reports that John Irvin, the gay receptionist who appeared as a temp on NYPD Blue last season, was
so popular that the character will have a recurring role next season.
In the TV Guide article, actor Bill Brochtrup, who plays Irvin, says that although he would like to see a gay char-
acter have a normal life including romance, he does not foresee that for his character.
Claudia's gay violin teacher, Ross, will also return to Party of Five this fall and is likely to have a relationship by mid-year. Unfortunately, Eric Lutes, who portrays the gay station manager on Frasier, is leaving the show for the new NBC show, Caroline in the City, and his gay character will not be returning.
Based on a true story, the 1995 made-for-
Ellen DeGeneres has a girlfriend whom she met and got romantic with at lesbian rock star Melissa Etheridge's birthday party.
As to whether he would do a gay love scene, Brochtrup said, “I think it would be totally cool. It would shake some people up. I mean, viewers went nuts over Roseanne getting a kiss from a woman. Of course, people who hate the show are too tired from writing letters protesting its language and nudity to complain about my character. I've gotten a lot of letters from women asking me for a date and wondering if I'm really gay. Is it politically incorrect to write back that I'm just acting?"
In the August 11 edition of Entertainment Weekly, actress Jessica Hechet, who plays the lesbian lover of Ross' ex-wife on the NBC sitcom Friends, talks about what's in store for the couple now that the baby is born. Says Hechet, "I hear there will be a lot of breast feeding and maybe looking at wedding dresses."
TV movie A Mother's Prayer has been playing on cable lately. The film tells the story of a single mother living with AIDS who searches for a woman to raise her son after she dies. Linda Hamilton, who plays the title role, and Ru Paul, the woman's counselor, talked about their roles in the July 29 edition of TV Guide. Also in that edition, a profile of The Young and the Restless star Anna Sung. Sung was persuaded by her brother, fashion designer Philip Sung, to give up her career as a New York marketing manager to pursue acting just before he died of AIDS complications in 1986. In tribute to her brother, Anna Sung is currently directing Requiem, a 30minute autobiographical film for the American Film Institute.
There are reports appearing in the tabloids lately that TV comedian Ellen DeGeneres has a girlfriend whom she met and got romantic with at lesbian rock star Melissa Etheridge's birthday party. The reports also say that DeGeneres has moved the woman into her home. No direct quotes on this yet, so keep an eye on this story as it develops.
In an exclusive interview with actress
Catherine Deneuve featured in the July 25 issue of the Advocate, the actress talked about her lesbian roles, her view of the lesbian and gay community and her lawsuit against Deneuve magazine. Catherine Deneuve says that she is suing the magazine because its name is the same as hers, and because people in France would tend to automatically assume it was named after her and not because it is a lesbian magazine. Questioned by the Advocate, Deneuve magazine's editor denied any link to the actress and indicated that the magazine was named after one of her own former lovers.
The August issue of Deneuve features an interview with actress Tracy Lords. Lords gained notoriety when she revealed that she had lied about her age when she began making XXX adult films at age 15. Since then, Lords has become a well-known mainstream actress starring in John Waters' film Cry Baby and currently co-starring on TV's Melrose Place. In the interview, Lords reveals that she is bisexual in real life and that it is just coincidental that her last two romantic relationships were with men.
The July 17 edition of Newsweek magazine featured an eight-page cover story on the public emergence of bisexuality as a sexual orientation.
I would like to thank WRUW 91.1 FM's Public Affairs Director Matt Hurd who has provided much appreciated advice, assistance and support to myself and the rest of the Gaywaves staff. Hurd has been working closely with us as we learn more about using the station's new digital audio tape system and other new equipment which will improve our production quality. Matt has also helped Gaywaves stay on the air this summer by filling in for Scott Bibbs as engineer while we adjust to our staff's new working schedules.✔
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