GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

NOVEMBER 24, 1995

ON THE AIR▪ OFF THE PRESS

A second character comes out on NYPD Blue

by John Graves

Keep your eye on the ABC police drama NYPD Blue Tuesdays at 10 pm. Two weeks ago, one of the show's main characters, Detective Janice Lesniak, came out of the closet as a lesbian when she had to deal with a male colleague who was trying to woo her. At long last, we have a main character in a network drama who is going through the whole personal coming out process. Detective Lesniak also gets to interact with the show's other full-time gay character, Police Clerk John Irvin.

Look for feature interviews with k.d. lang in the November issues of Details and Us

magazines. Us also features an interview with gay film director Gus Van Sant. Check out the December Us for a feature story on lesbian rock star Melissa Etheridge. Etheridge and lang talk about their lives and work and perform some of their hits on the VH-1 to One series on cable's VH-1. The channel is also playing lang and Etheridge's new videos. A few weeks ago, we reported that, according to Entertainment Weekly, All My Children's Michael would soon come out of the closet. Well, here it is. Michael comes out of the closet two weeks ago becoming the first continuing lesbian or gay soap opera character. According to a report in TV Guide, All My Children executive producer Felicia

It's Time to Show Some Pride

Great Gift Idea! Genuine Leather Band

Credit Card Orders 800-484-8690 then dial 7228 after tone Mail Money Order for $30.95 + $3.95 Shipping and Handling P. O. Box 18842 Atlanta, GA 31126

Local call 404-658-9973

Make checks payable to Pryde

"ONE OF THE YEAR'S MOST EMINENT AND BEAUTIFUL FILMS.

A MOTION PICTURE TO SAVOR, GRACED BY JONATHAN PRYCE, WHOSE PERFORMANCE LIKE THE MOTION Picture Itself IS UNFORGETTABLE.”

GENE SHALIT, TODAY, NBC-TV

"THOMPSON Gives A

PERFORMANCE OF

STRIKING INTELLIGENCE

AND NUANCE.”

STEVEN REA, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"TWO THUMBS UP!"

SISKEL & EBERT

Best Actor Award

Jonathan Pryce

Special Jury Prize

Christopher Hampton

CANNES

FILM

FESTIVAL

Minei Behr said, "We're not going to a quick gay story and say good-bye. This is a character with longevity. We've slowly and carefully established him so the people of Pine Valley and the audience-would accept him before he was labeled. This will become a story of homophobia among people who think they're liberal."

Actor Chris Bruno, who portrays Michael, was cast, flown to New York and then told about the role. Bruno was then offered the chance to drop the role if he felt too uncomfortable. Bruno admitted that at first he wanted to do just that.

"I didn't want to carry this torch," Bruno said. "I wasn't sure daytime could do the story justice. Also, many viewers don't separate the actor from the character. I wasn't ready to walk down the street and have people say, 'Hey, isn't that the gay guy from All My Children?' But facing my prejudices made me realize I should do this role. Sexual preference should not be an issue in this world— and I don't mind being a role model for that. This storyline is going to teach a lot of people a lot about themselves." All My Children can be seen every day at 1 pm on ABC.

Look for a feature article in the November 6 edition of People magazine on Lee Mathis, a gay actor living with AIDS who played lawyer Jon Hanley on General Hospital. Mathis played Hanley, who was also gay and living with AIDS, until September 22 when his health deteriorated. In the article, Stuart

Damon, who plays Dr. Alan Quartermaine, was quoted as saying, "This man has AIDS period, end of subject. Outside of that, he is a human being like everyone else, and he is to be embraced."

In an episode about an AIDS fundraiser that aired this past June, Mathis gave such a stirring speech about the disease on camera that many of his fellow cast members burst into tears. Of the incident Mathis said, "What a mountaintop experience that was. I was I was telling my story within the fiction of a soap opera. After the shoot, all the actors stood in line to hug me." Mathis is scheduled to reappear as Hanley on an episode of General Hospital scheduled to air December 1, which may be one of his final performances.

Unfortunately, there will not be a November edition of Freestyles, Amanda Bearse's new video magazine show for lesbian and gay audiences. The show's producers tell me that the next edition of Freestyles is still in production. When complete, Freestyles will still air on VH-1, and I will get you information on the show's scheduled airtime as soon as it is available.

Salmon Press of Galway, Ireland will soon publish From a Mobile Home, a new book of poems by Dr. Nuala Archer, Cleveland's well known lesbian poet and lecturer. Copies of the book are available now through DuFour Editions, Inc., P.O. Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007. For more information, call DuFour at 610-458-5005.

Sell That Old Beater in the Gay People's Chronicle Classifieds!!

Share the Vision

The

Lesbian

Business

Association

Presents

December 2nd

WINTERNS

The Ohio Union West Ballroom

at The Ohio State University

1995

EMMA THOMPSON JONATHAN PRYCE

A FILM BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON

ARRINGTON

POLYGRAM FILMED ENTERTAINMENT REPES SHEDLO FREEMAT ACETON NASCIATON WITH CINEA & ORGANS & LESTUDIOCIMAL EMMA THOMPSON JONATHAN PRYCE CHRISTOPHER HUMITON "CARRINGTON STEVEN WADDINGTON REFUS SEWELL SAMUEL WEST PENELORE WILTON LITTON STRACHEY", MICHAEL HOLROYD

ر دیان

GOLDWYN

CHRIS THOMPSON VALPENNY ROSE GEORGE AKERS & MICHAEL NYMAN CAROLINE AMIES DENIS LENOIR

PolyGram

LANDMARK

SHED

JOHN MCGRATH CHRISTOPHER HAMPTONIO) HAI DE LA ABUSED

MARKEHLENSWER GRAMERCY

Centrum EXCLUSIVE! NOW SHOWING!

2781 Euclid Hts. Blvd. 932-5956

Vendor Area

Professionally Crafted Holiday Gifts

Entertainment

Dianne Fishman MC

Columbus Women's Chorus

Vox Alterna

Linda Thornburg

Women's Dance

Admission:

Mobile Music DJ

Debbie Kadlec

Kim Batey

11am 7pm

1pm 6pm

Katrira Curtiss and Mary Hough Lisa Angstadt

8:30pm 11pm

$2 Crafts Fair and Dance

$3 Dance Only

3:50pm: Presentation of Montreal Women's Memorial Award and LBA Founders' Award • 5pm: RAFFLE

Collection for homeless women; toiletries and gently used clothing are needed. Drop boxes at Stonewall Union, Desert Sun, Fan the Flames and Alternative Auto PUBLIC WELCOME

For information call 267-3953

cosponsored by Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual student services