GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

JANUARY 23, 1998

ON THE AIR OFF THE PRESS

Network cancels 'Sacred' episode about gay priest

by John Graves

ABC has decided to bury an episode of Nothing Sacred that deals with a closeted gay Catholic priest who has AIDS, the Los Angeles Times reported on January 10. An ABC spokesperson confirmed January 9 that the episode has not been scheduled to air.

"ABC's decision to bury it was based on cowardice, cruelty and co-option of the religious right's agenda," Richard Kramer told the Times. Kramer co-wrote the episode with Jesuit priest Father Bill Cain. It was originally scheduled to air following the show's pilot episode.

In the January 2 episode of the hit NBC

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crime series Homicide: Life on the Street, an investigation of a gay man's murder led one of the series' main characters to come out as bisexual.

Near the end of the episode, Detective Bayliss (Kyle Secor) accepts a dinner invitation from the owner of the gay restaurant where the murder victim was found. Not only is Secor comfortable in the role, it was he who pitched the idea to the show's executive producer over the summer.

"As an actor, you always want to make yourself more interesting or do something that hasn't been done before," Secor said in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Homicide plans to continue the storyline

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and explore Bayliss's realization of his bisexuality.

In a December episode of the ABC law series The Practice, attorney Jimmy Berluti found out his widowed mother is a lesbian. He was even more shocked when she asked him to represent her and her lover in their court battle for the legal right to marry. Berluti's mother is played by actress Lois Smith.

Rising pop star Fiona Appel came out as bisexual recently in an interview on the infamous Howard Stern show on cable's "E" channel. Later on the show, Appel performed while five lesbian and bisexual women who were guests in the studio danced together. Although Stern's style is obnoxious, to say the least, if you can stand it you might learn some interesting tidbits from his guest celebrities.

The new season of Tracey Ullman's gayfriendly comedy series Tracey Takes On premiered on HBO on Sunday, January 4.

Lesbian supermodel Jenny Shmitzu costars as Goldy, one of four abused teenaged girls who cope by forming their own unique family in Foxfire, a film with strong lesbian undertones now playing on cable.

Angelina Jolie, who portrays a street-wise teenage drifter named Legs who befriends and helps the girls, came out as bisexual in an interview in the December issue of Girlfriends magazine. Jolie, who is married, said she came out to herself when she met Shmitzu during the filming of Foxfire.

"I probably would have married Jenny Shmitzu if I hadn't married my husband," Jolie told the magazine. “I fell in love with her the first second I saw her."

Jolie also stars in Gia, a made-for-cable film biography about Gia Carangi, a lesbian supermodel who became one of the first American women to die of AIDS complications. Gia premieres on HBO January 31.

Beverly Hills 90210 has a new gay character. A few weeks ago, Dave talked to a troubled co-worker named Dan who said that he had no problem with being gay but was hurt by his family's rejection. Dave went to Dan's family to ask them to ease their son's hurt and be more accepting of him. The father's response was to slam the door in Dave's face, saying that he had no son. Beverly Hills 90210 airs on the Fox network Wednesdays at 8 pm.

Lady Bunny, Lypsinka, Jem Jender, Varla Jean Merman and other gender illusionists talk about their personal and professional lives on "Dragtime," the latest edition of HBO's America Undercover series.

Accolades continue to come in for Ellen DeGeneres. Entertainment Weekly named her "Entertainer of the Year" in their Decem-

ber 26 "Best of 1997" issue. DeGeneres also made the list of "the 25 most intriguing people of the year" in the special December 29 double issue of People magazine.

When People asked about her New Year's resolution, DeGeneres replied, "I guess I would have to say more honesty, more openness and more willingness to let life lead me where it's supposed to lead me."

DeGeneres' lover, Anne Heche, responded, "Love my wife more, because it's a pleasure."

Ellen was also picked as the Number 1 television show for 1997 by USA Today. DeGeneres was number three on the list of "Best Performers of the Year" in the December 20 "Best of '97" edition of TV Guide. In the same issue, actors Tim Allen and Robin Williams picked the Ellen coming out episode as "1997's Most Unforgettable Moment."

TV Guide also picked Ben Jorgensen as "Best Supporting Actor" in its soap opera category for his portrayal of Kevin, a gay teenager on All My Children. The magazine said that Jorgensen "delivered a performance of aching sensitivity and truth. In the process he has set a new standard in actor bravery."

In 1991, Entertainment Weekly began commemorating World AIDS Day by publishing the names and pictures of 67 people the arts and entertainment industry lost to the epidemic in the previous year. Each year the number of "Faces of AIDS" climbed, reaching a peak of 137 in 1994. In 1995 the number began to drop, and this year only 24 names are listed.

The magazine goes on to warn, however, that we cannot become complacent as recent news stories have warned the AIDS crisis is not over, there is no cure yet and people should not revert to unsafe practices.

Here's a welcome sign! The tabloids usually allude to "gay and lesbian commandos," and say gay publications are dedicated to outing celebrities, when the tabs themselves do a lot of outing.

Such was the case in the November 18 edition of the National Examiner. In an article entitled "Dolly Gay Scandal," the Examiner referred to Dolly Parton's recent interview in Out magazine and stated that Out was "dedicated to 'outing' homosexuals." When Out president Henry E. Scott notified the tabloid that it was not their policy to out anyone, the Examiner printed a retraction stating that they were "happy to clarify this point."

John Graves is the producer and host of Gaywaves, a lesbian-gay public affairs show on Cleveland's WRUW 91.1 FM Fridays at 7 pm. Dave Haskell, Jim McGrattan and Kim Jones also contributed to this column.

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