PAGE 14 HIGH GEAR;
Media and the arts
N.Y. Times blacklisting, 'Gigolo' homophobia
By R. Woodward
In an interview with M.A. Karr in the March 20 issue of The Advocate, feminist writer Susan Griffin tells of her book Woman
and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her being blacklisted by The New York Times.
Asked why Harvey Shapiro. editor of The Times Book Review, blacklisted the book and how he did it. Griffin replies, "It was never reviewed It was methodical--the book was pres. ented to Harvey Shapiro and he
simply refused to review it. There were several prominen: scholars, male and female, who expressed
a wish to. review the book.. Margaret Atwood, fur one--and he refused to have anyone review it, either for or against. That, of course has hurt the book.
'In this country, intellectual authority still rests with The New York Times and the gay com. munity should be aware of how much that affects their lives I've never seen a serious discussion of homophobia in The Times and it's a major issue in this country
A group of people who are being scapegoated by the right wing can't be considered a minor issue."
The Times, Griffin adds. is "also particularly anti-lesbianfeminist"
Griffin's comments on black listing and homophobia at The New York Times bring to mind, the coverage in The Times last October of The National Maret on Washington
The Times story on the march. which appeared in the October 15 issue. was buried on page A 14 and consisted of 11 short para
graphs the last three of which. dealt with religious groups opposed to the march The story literally gave the last word to anti-gay fundamentalists.
The Times story ended with Rev. Jerry Falwell, a TV evange list from Lynchburg, Virginia. saying "God didn't create Adam and Steve but Adam and Eve. and asserting tha: homosexual ity is an "outrigt: assault on the family."
The Times tory did not bother in quote any pro-gav religious
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opinions.
. Except for quoting one banner in the parade that read "Gay Mormons. United." no mention was made of various religious groups that took part in the march
It is probably not necessary to be homophobic or a closet queen to work on The New York Timesas long as one is willing and able to brown-nose those who are.
"American Gigolo" Homophobla
The leading character in "American Gigolo." played by Richard Gere, is a male prostitute who wears stylish clothes, drives a stvuch car, and lives in a stylish apartment
To indicate that this character is not completely without integ. rity and is perhaps redeemable. Paul Schrader, the writer and director of the film, has him say I don't do couples, kinks, e fags"
The chief villain in this film, its chief symbol of evil, is a sinister looking black pimp who is gay
Julian Kaye the prostitute played by Gere, drops this villain to the sidewalk from an apartment balcony several stories up. Doing so eventually allows him to live happily ever after.
Stuar: Byron in an article in the March 10 issue of Village Voice quotes Paul Schrader as saving that the black pimp was gay because he represented the hero's past "
Schrader als said. "There is no question but that in the movie heterosexuality is equated with redemption"
Unlike "Cruising." which is
muddled, and unlike "Cruising's"
turestor Witham Friedkin, who is mealy mouthed Paul Schrader with "American Gigolo.” deliber ately and admittedly cultivates
nomophobia.
While doing mediocre busi ness on the East and Wes! Coasis "American Gigolo" his been a big success in places ke Toronto and Chicago and in suburbs across the United States. Byron in his Village Voice arficie calls it a "shopping center movie
Byron suggests that the movie
is a hit because "homophobia is the American neurosis."
"It presents." Byron says, "a man--a man whose actions it approves--who as an individual, Is as hypocritical toward homosexuals as America is as a nation America is a country which takes its ideals of couture, its ideals of decor. even its ideals of male and female beauty from gay talents-but wants to put gays in jail because of what they do in bed. Like Julian Kaye, America wants to throw the homosexual to the street from a 10th floor high-rise apartment and then move into the apartment."
Schrader is one of a growing number of people who don't reject gays outright--if they can be comfortably used up before being discarded. Gays are not completely unwelcome in Schrader cheme of things because a host organism is not comelisty unwelcome to a par· site that feeds off of it
Rating Board wants you
The United States Motion Picvolunteer community members ture Rating Board'is actively would represent different ageseeking members from all seg groups, occupations and backments of the general public, grounds, and would augment industry people currently on the i board.
⚫ including gay people... In the past, rating codes wers assigned exclusively by the motion picture industry. Current policy requires public participation in the rating process: The
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If you are interested in serving on the board, call (213) 462-0900. Courtesy of THE ADVOCATE:
Gay Presses of N.Y.
scripts.
major new gay works that they would not have been able to publish individually...
Three gay presses have joined together to form THE GAY. With this joint effort, the three PRESSES OF NEW YORK, a new companies are attempting to association to promote gay pub increase the visibility of the gay lishing. The publishers. press through mutual advertiseinvolved are Calamus Books, Ing. promotion, sales and distri which has published The Fag-bution. The companies will also gols and Their Friends Between publish under a joint imprint Revolutions by Larry Mitchell, Mercy Drop and Other Plays by Robert Patrick and other books; Sea Horse Press, which has published The Deformity Lover and Other Poems Felice Picano. Two Plays by Doric Wilson and other books; and JH Press, specializing in gay theatre publications, including the Gay Theatre Alliance Directory of Gay Plays, compiled and edited and with an introduction by Terry Helbing, as well as acting editions of gay play
More information about THE GAY PRESSES OF NEW YORK. may be obtained from any one of the presses: Calamus Books. P.O. Box 689, Cooper Station, New York, N.Y. 10003: Séa Horse Press, P.O. Box 509, Village Sta tion, New York, N.Y. 10014; or JH. Press. 90 Bank Street (5D), New York, N.Y. 10014.
Miss JJ's (see page 16)
White's States of Desire.
By Gregg Leach
America by Edmund White. 336 pages EP Dutton, publisher $12.95
cism by the author, but the bias in
must, of necesšíly, run up against many presentation problems in order to cut the subject to manageable size.
States of Desire-Travels In Gay the book is self-evident after a few pages, and the author's selfcriticism is presented only in epilogue. The ideas and style both The book is definitely valuable overcome any faults in the beak for the gay reader. Even if the. tyles city by city for the ES and any attempt to treat gav lifes.
"The book has many faults It scants older men and married men it says nothing of gay
(Contd on page 15)
Asians or gay Jews. It largely More Quicklime.
overlooks gay working-class men Worse. it gives highly colored but doubtlessly distorted views of the cities I write about.
My only mistification is to point to
my method these are travel notes in which I recorded my impressions.
sies in its bearing news from one The value of the book I hope, quarter to another (from Seattle to New York, savi or from one blacks to Atlanta whites for group to another from Atlanta nstance) I hope it will enable gays and straights to imagine other lives. That was what writing ne bock did for me"
It is perhaps fairly unusual t start a book review with a chin a
Opening on April 9. at Kennedy's is.a new show by
Cleveland's comedy group
Quicklime called "All Fouled Ur Judging by the show's title. the audience will again be seeing in the two previous shows the rubber chicken that appeared
included in "All Fouled UP" will be a new edition of "WGAR's lation of a 1940's live radio valety Open House" Qucklime's sinus, program. during which the Quicklime audience is treated take the tie radio andience like the love cartin audience present turing a broadcast
Can Mayep gradio con
tain much period huinor at lea ture inuch singing, vintågen. radio-siyle
The cast of this new, show is the same as the cast of the group previous show "Drum-schiticks"
Iarry Bucklin. Gorry Keating. Maggie Koled. Scott Martin. John Weil, and Helene Weinberg.
All Fouled Up" will have & SIX Wednesdays Fridays, and week engagement with shows on Saturdays at 8:30 pm.
Tickets are available at the Prince Theatın box office. (216) 523 1755
Kennedy's is located in the cuertevel of the State Theatre
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