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at Paramount Studio Gate The City of West Hollywood Condemns Paramount Studios At the Gate: Civil Rights Groups & Anti-Hate Organizations |
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Compiled By GayToday
Los Angeles, California--A wide-ranging coalition of over 500 demonstrators took to the gates of Paramount Studios, yesterday morning at 5555 Melrose Ave in Hollywood, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. PST, to demand that Paramount Television Group drop plans to produce and syndicate a television show hosted by radio talk show host and anti-gay activist Laura Schlessinger.
"It is outrageous that Paramount chooses to be in business with a woman who is literally dangerous to the gay community," said David Lee, a speaker at today's protest and the co-creator and executive producer of the hit TV series, 'Frasier' (which is also a Paramount production). "She may not have a club in her hand but she encourages an atmosphere where those who do wield weapons feel free to use them." Yesterday's protest was co-sponsored by StopDrLaura.com, HateWatch.org and the San Francisco-based Horizons Foundation, and is endorsed by many other local and national groups. Four weeks ago, the Child Welfare League of America and the National Mental Health Association of America joined Horizons to run full-page ads in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner asking Schlessinger to consider the effect of her anti-gay rhetoric on children. Schlessinger failed to respond to Horizons' open letter.
The groups decided on a protest at a meeting two weeks ago in West Hollywood, attended by a number of leading gay and civil rights activists, and entertainment industry figures. Since then, many California and national gay and lesbian rights organizations and religious organizations have endorsed the demonstration and are represented at today's protest. Yesterday's speakers included: Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Barry Karas, board member of the Human Rights Campaign; Gwen Baldwin, Executive director of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center; Peter Teague, executive director of Horizons Foundation; the Rev. Troy Perry, Moderator, United Federation of Metropolitan Community Churches; Rabbi Denise Eger, Congregation Kol Ami; Carol Anderson, Southern California co-chair of California Alliance for Pride & Equality; Lynette Sperber of the Los Angeles chapter of Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays; Dr. Sylvia Rhue; and Robin Tyler, California organizer of StopDrLaura.com. Also at today's protest, West Hollywood city council member Steve Martin read a resolution passed March 20 by the West Hollywood City Council:
Hollywood celebrities are now joining the growing chorus of voices critical of Paramount. Last week Academy-Award-winning-actress Susan Sarandon offered her comments and a photo for the StopDrLaura.com web site. "Dr. Laura has a right to her opinion, but I think it's irresponsible of Paramount to not give equal time, at the very least, to a person with a more enlightened and contemporary perspective," Sarandon's statement said. "I'm totally against wasting the airwaves giving visibility to a person who is clearly in dire need of compassion, education, and a good shrink herself." Yesterday's protest occurred a little over two weeks after the debut of StopDrLaura.com. The site has received more than seven million hits, and has ratcheted up the controversy over "Dr. Laura," bringing thousands of phone calls and e-mails to Paramount from concerned citizens. Ten days ago, as pressure mounted, Schlessinger issue a tepid "apology" for her remarks about lesbians and gays. But five days later she recanted the apology in an interview with a Boston Herald reporter, and said she will continue to speak out against gay and lesbian rights initiatives and will continue to promote dubious "reparative therapies" to make gays heterosexual. |
