OCTOBER 10, 1997 GAY PEOPle's ChroNICLE 17

EVENINGS OUT

Lesbian breast surgeon profiled in television special

by Dawn Leach

Lifetime television has dedicated an hourlong "Intimate Portrait" to telling the life story of a well-respected, trailblazing physician who is openly lesbian. Dr. Susan Love's remarkable story is narrated by award-winning journalist Linda Ellerbee, one of her former patients.

Love is an extraordinary woman with a history of breaking new ground. She went to

Dr. Susan Love

LIFETIME TELEVISION

medical school and became a surgeon in the 1970s when women were rarely accepted into the medical profession. In 1980, she became the first female general surgeon at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

When she and her lover, Helen Cooksey, had a baby together in 1988, she fought a four-year court battle to have Cooksey legally recognized as her daughter's second parent. The resulting legal victory in 1993 set a first-time precedent for the state of Massachusetts to allow same-sex couples to jointly adopt children.

Love is outspoken and passionate about women's health, and brought national attention to the problem of breast cancer. She cofounded the Breast Cancer Coalition in 1991 and successfully lobbied to increase federal spending on breast cancer research from $90 million to $410 million. She founded the Faulkner Breast Center and the UCLA Breast Center. Many consider Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book to be the bible of breast health. As an out lesbian and vocal advocate of women's health issues, she has been a role model and pioneer for the lesbian and gay community.

"I feel an obligation to be out," Love said. "It helps others."

Lifetime's portrayal of Love's life seems to be as open and comfortable with her sexual orientation as she is herself. A large segment of the show is dedicated to her relationship with Cooksey, and their struggle to have their family legally recognized.

Without apologies or sensationalism, the show presents footage of a loving family together at home, with 5-year-old Katie wearing a T-shirt that says, “I was hatched by a couple of chicks."

Interviews with people who know Love demonstrate that her openness about her lesbian family has affected the way others think about lesbians. One colleague tells how she gained respect for the obstacles that lesbians face as she watched Love and Cooksey spend four years and a great deal of money to gain a right that she and her husband could take for granted.

Love is charismatic and well liked, and that comes through in Lifetime's story, which is sensitive, thoughtful, and definitely worth seeing.

Intimate Portrait: Dr. Susan Love will appear on the Lifetime cable channel Wednesday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 28 at 7 pm. 71

please join us as we welcome

Richard Burns,

Executive Director of The New York City

Lesbian/Gay Center

&

Advocate for local grass roots reform

to

The Annual Meeting

of

The Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland

Sunday, October 26th 3:30-6:00pm The University Club

3813 Euclid Ave

Free & Open to the Public Call (218)522-1999 for more details!

PLUS!

DAVID MORGAN

Toaster Oven Recruitment Award Winner!

Community Awards Presentation

Cleveland Jacks

4th Anniversary Bash

Miles Hart invites you to Jack safely for this wild party!

Membership Voting

If you have ever been a member of Jacks, come and join the fun for free (you pay only for your room or locker at Flex).

Stay for the grand buffet!

400 Jacks can't be wrong!

2 pm, Sunday, Oct 26

FLEX

Refreshments

& Much More!!

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