The Source: Volume 2, Issue 4, May/June 1999

The Source: Volume 2, Issue 4, May/June 1999

New Reports

Adolescent Pregnancy

Adolescent Pregnancy: State/Local Coalition Directory
The National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention
This is an annual directory of state and local coalitions concerned about adolescent pregnancy, parenting and prevention. It assists individuals and organizations in sharing program information and organizational strategies with other local and state organizations across the country.
1998; Free; The National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Suite 350, Washington, DC 20037; Phone: 202/293-8370; Fax: 202/293-8805; Web site: http://www.noappp.org

Talking About Sexuality

National Survey: Talking with Kids about Tough Issues
Children Now and The Kaiser Family Foundation
This survey of parents and kids ages 10 to 15 was conducted to discover that many families are still waiting too long and not talking enough about what their kids say they need to know.
1999; Free; Children Now, 1212 Broadway, Fifth Floor, Oakland, CA 94612; Phone: 510/763-2444; Fax: 510/763-1974; Web site: http://www.childrennow.org

Sexuality and the Media

Sex on TV: Covering all of the Bases
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The purpose of the study was to examine the amount and nature of sexual messages on television today. How sex is shown on Television is as important as how often it is shown. In addition to counting the number of sexual situations, this study looks at the context in which sex is presented on television.
1999; Free; The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2400 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025; Phone: 800/656-4533; Web site: http://www.kff.org

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

National Survey of 15-17 Year Olds: What Teens Know and Don’t (But Should) About Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The Kaiser Family Foundation/ MTV/ Teen People
This survey was conducted nationwide to uncover the awareness of and attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—focusing primarily on STDs other than HIV/AIDS—of 15-17 year olds.
1999; Free; The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2400 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025; Phone: 800/656-4533; Web site: http://www.kff.org

New Videos

The Mary S. Calderone Library does not have a video collection. We do, however, receive videos for review. In addition, we maintain a list of video distributors.

A Friend Comes to Visit: A Comic Conversation About a Touchy Visit
This video is a comical portrayal of menstruation as seen through the eyes on both men and women. Topics include "The First Time You Got It, "Why Me?", "Sex and Your Period, and "If Men Menstruated." These questions are addressed with candid, open dialog. This video is fun for young adults.
1999; 27:30 minutes; $19.95; Kingsize Entertainment, 639 N. Larchmont Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90004; Phone: 323/467-7199; Fax: 323/467-7201; Web site: http://www.kingsize-ent.com

Considering Your Options
National Education Association Health Information Network
This video combines animated segments—where "Alex" goes online to learn more about his contraceptive options—with real teens who discuss their choices and concerns about sexual activity and birth control methods. A teacher’s discussion guide is included.
1998; 23 minutes; $15; call for shipping and tax costs; NEA Professional Library Distribution Center, P. O. Box 2035; Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-2035; Phone: 800/229-4200; Fax: 301/206-9789.

Kayla’s Story
The Citykids Foundation
This video for adolescents addresses the issue of teen pregnancy. It follows Kayla through her pregnancy demonstrating how her fearless attitude toward being a teenage mother fades as she faces the harsh realities of raising her child. A discussion guide is included.
1996; 28 minutes; $79; call for shipping and tax costs; The Citykids Foundation, 57 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013; Phone: 212/925-3320; Fax: 212/925-0128; Web site: http://www.citykids.com

Upcoming Conferences

National Symposium on Overcoming Barriers to Condom Use, sponsored by Pharmacists Planning Services, Inc., New York University School of Education, Department of Health Studies, Columbia University School of Public Health, the Condom Resource Center, Advocates for Youth, Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs, and Community Health, the University of California at Berkley, School of Public Health, Planned Parenthood, New York, and University of California at Los Angeles, School of Public Health, is scheduled for June 1-2, 1999 in New York, NY. The goal of this conference is to present information on condom efficacy and technical developments; examine institutional, social, and individual factors which affect condom use; recommend new strategies to improve condom use; provide a multidisciplinary forum for addressing condom-related issues; and increase public awareness of condom use. Conference topics will include: advertising, media, social marketing, new technologies, special populations, budget cuts, managed care, political and financial changes, condoms, ethics, and the safer sex message. The registration fee is $155. Registration deadline is May 15, 1999.
For more information:

PPSI
101 Lucas Valley Road
Suite 210-E
San Rafael, CA 94903
415/479-8628
415/479-8608 fax
Email: PPSI@aol.com

Ninth Annual Clinical Care Options for HIV Symposium, sponsored by Northwestern University Medical School Division of Infectious Diseases, is scheduled for June 3-6, 1999 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel, CA. The program will include presentations and discussions on: cellular reservoirs, immuniopathogenesis, resistance, vaccines, primary HIV infection, family planning, HIV, STDs and prevention, and treatment activism in the new treatment era. Registration fee is $395. Registration deadline is May 14, 1999.
For more information:

Clinical Care Options for HIV Symposium Registration
430 Franklin Village Drive
Suite 105
Franklin, MA 02038
888/391-3996 toll-free
508/528-7880 fax
E-mail: registration@healthcg.com
http://www.healthcg.com/hiv/symposium

Out On the Prairie, sponsored by the Social Work Department at the University of North Dakota, is scheduled for June 24-26, 1999. The four conference themes are research, theory, practice, and policy that reflect the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach in dealing with the unique needs and appreciating the unique contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and families from rural areas. Deadline is June 24, 1999.
For more information:

David Whitcomb
Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of North Dakota
E-mail: dwhitcom@badlands.nodak.edu

Fourth Annual National Prevention Institute, sponsored by Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (CHEF), is scheduled for July 21-23, 1999, in Seattle, WA. Registrants will receive research information on what works to reduce youth risk behaviors in the areas of violence, sexuality, suicide, drug abuse, and school dropout delinquency; details on prevention programs; information on state-of-the-art prevention strategies and activities, and details on student-driven instruction for prevention programs. The registration fee is $399 per person. May 15 is the deadline.
For more information:

CHEF.
22419 Pacific Highway South
Seattle, WA 98198
800/323-2433 toll free
206/824-3072 fax
http://www.chef.org

Workshop on Sexuality at Thornfield in Cazenovia, NY, is scheduled for July 24-31, 1999. The goals of the workshop are to increase awareness and understanding of sexuality, to explore models for being sexually healthy, and to increase the comfort and confidence of professionals in the areas of sexuality and sexual diversity in education. The workshop consists of a five-day SAR (Sexual Attitude Reassessment), followed by a day of skill-building workshops. The workshop cost $995 (including room and board). Register before June 1, 1999 to receive a $50 discount.
For more information:

The Annual Workshop on Sexuality
Carol Dopp, Coordinator
PO Box 3158
Oakton, VA 22124
703/532-3702

Reviews from Volume 27, Number 3 in the SIECUS Report

Off the Straight & Narrow: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Television
The Media Education Foundation
26 Center Street
Northampton, MA 01060
800/897-0089 or 413/584-8500
Web site: http://www.mediaed.org
$215/$125, high schools

Growing up straight in the 1960s and in Middle America, I don’t remember knowing or meeting anyone who was openly gay. Today, the gay community is no longer "invisible." Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals have organized a successful movement, prodding people to recognize them as significant members of our society. In the process, they have also put pressure on the media- both television and movies- to portray them honestly and fairly. Both media have made significant strides. But it is television, more than movies, that still seems afraid to show gays and lesbians in a realistic light- even to the point of not wanting them to touch each other.

Off the Straight & Narrow: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Television, a new educational video from the Media Education Foundation (MEF), is the first in-depth documentary to cast a critical eye on the growth of gay images on television since the 1960s. The video, which provides a brief history of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals on the small screen, challenges viewers to consider the limits of gay images, with a hard look at who is represented, what they say, and how people respond.

Unusually accessible, yet sophisticated, Off the Straight & Narrow now features interviews with media scholars who offer both historical and cultural contexts for exploring the social implications of the representations. Presented to viewers in "chapters" such as "Saints, Singles," "Gay Power," and "Race & Sexuality," the video discussion is documented with an array of television news, drama series, and sitcom clips from the past 30 years.

When television dared to air its first gay documentary in 1967 (showing no women, no pictures, and no references), the media was on the threshold of becoming a battleground for gay opinion. Three decades later, television remains a war zone for controversy over issues of gender and sexuality to "network anxiety." Just a year ago, it canceled Ellen, the sitcom featuring openly gay actress/comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres.

Although television gives us a "rich panoply" of characters to maximize advertising revenues, what images does it really offer? Exactly how are gays, lesbians, and bisexuals written into a straight television world? While the mass media is becoming more accepting of our diverse culture, and viewers are seeing a larger number of gay images on television, the number of those images still represents a small portion of all images seen on television in music videos, cartoons, and sports programming.

The video’s scholars all agree that daytime "soaps" have been more adventurous than prime-time television. However, it is the daytime talk show, a television format pioneered by Phil Donohue in the 1970s, that has been more hospitable to the gay community at large. It’s more than likely that viewers will encounter an openly lesbian or gay person on daytime talk television shows then anywhere else.

Off the Straight & Narrow shows us that lesbian and gay characters continue to be portrayed on television in the least threatening way. They exist in the straight world and, more to the point, in the straight television world, simply to validate the heterosexuality of the main character, or as a foil for anxiety or humor and sympathy. The video chapter "Betwixt & Between" shows us that bisexuals are not on the television screen at all. It seems television insist its characters be straight or gay- but not in between.

Off the Straight & Narrow clearly suggests that television needs to expand its range of who it validates as truly human and that new program strategies should be tried and old messages should be challenged. As the gay community continues to make room for itself in society, the scholars point out that lesbians, gays, and bisexuals should also make room for themselves in the media through greater involvement in the writing, directing, and producing processes.

An invaluable tool for educators interested in introducing students to issues of representation and diversity in the media, Off the Straight & Narrow shows how gay culture has made its way into the view of mainstream America. In so doing, the video both asks and answers the question: "How are we to make sense of the transformation in gay representation, from virtual invisibility before 1970 to the ‘gay chic’ of the 1990s?"

Reviewed by Lisa Hanock-Jasie.