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Dr. Laura Today is Star-Studded |
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By John Aravosis
Wired Strategies
Protest Today at Paramount Tuesday morning (March 21st) is our StopDrLaura.com protest at the gates of Paramount in Hollywood. It's at 8:30AM PST at 5555 Melrose Avenue (corner of Melrose and Windsor). There will be a ton of people, with pre-made signs - so if you get there early you can even get your own sign! And if you can't be in LA on Tuesday, please visit our Web site again, and use Tuesday to call the senior execs at Paramount and lodge your protest by phone and fax - we've just posted on our home page additional direct phone and fax lines for another 10 top execs at Paramount. Use StopDrLaura.Com Web Site Today to Call Paramount's Top Brass Ask Your Friends to Do the Same (phone numbers below) History of the StopDrLaura.Com Protest It's amazing that what started as a bit of bad publicity for Paramount has turned into a virtual torrent. In addition to all the bad press in Time, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, the LA Times, the NY Times, etc., - and in addition to the 7m hits our Web site has gotten, as well as the almost 15,000 emails that have been sent to Paramount via our site - look at how much worse things have gotten for Paramount in the last week alone.
As for the protest itself, as I've already mentioned, there's quite a celebrity line-up of Hollywood big-wigs and gay political leaders scheduled to speak (see below). Cameras from Access Hollywood, ABC News, the local stations, and many more, will be there. I just saw on CNN today that they'll be reporting on the protest tomorrow as well. Read a Great Los Angeles Times Story: It's excellent. www.latimes.com/print/20000320/t000026518.html
Speakers at Tuesday's Protest Include: David Lee, Executive Producer, "Frasier" Gwen Baldwin, Executive Director, LA Gay & Lesbian Center Peter Teague, Executive Director, The Horizons Foundation Rev. Troy Perry, Moderator, United Federation of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) Joan Garry, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Rabbi Denise Eger, Congregation Kol Ami Steve Martin, West Hollywood City Councilman Barry Karas, Board Member, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Carol Anderson, Southern California co-chair of CAPE (California Alliance for Pride & Equality-our State LGBT lobbing organization) Lynette Sperber - LA Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Ph.D. Robin Tyler, Veteran Activist and Coordinator of the Protest, StopDrLaura.com Phone Numbers to Reach Paramount: Kerry McCluggage, Chmn. of Paramount tel. 323-956-5076 fax: 323-862-1823 Frank Kelly, Co-Pres. Domestic TV: tel. 323-956-4543 fax 323-862-1838 Joel Berman, Co-Pres. Domestic TV tel. 323-956-5773 Steve Goldman, Exec. VP tel. 323-956-5982 John Nogawski, President - Distribution Domestic TV tel. 323-956-8999 fax 323-862-3404 Michael Mischler, Exec. VP - Mktg. tel. 323-956-5516 fax 323-862-1023 Bobbee Gabelmann, Exec. VP Current Programming tel. 323-956-5508 fax 323-862-0282 fax 323-862-1188 Richard Lindheim, Exec. VP tel. 323-956-5020 John Wentworth, Exec VP Media Relations tel. 323-956-5394 fax 323-862-3756 Trisha Cardoso, Senior VP Advg., Promotions tel. 323-956-5965 fax 323-862-3945 David LaFountaine, Senior VP Advg. & Promotions tel. 323-956-8533 fax 323-862-3945 Michelle Hunt, Head of Media Relations tel: (323) 956-8266 fax: (323) 862-1323 Text of Statement on Paramount & Dr. Laura by AIDS Action
"I'm making an announcement: Not one penny will I give to AIDS anything as
long as [public sex is allowed in gay bathhouses]. Not cent one. It's a
preventable disease. If you don't want to prevent it, I don't want to pay for
it."
Washington, D.C.--AIDS Action Monday called on Paramount Studios to end its
association with radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Paramount and
Dr. Laura have inked a deal to produce a television talk show that will air on
television stations reaching 90% of the U.S. market.
In a letter to Paramount Chairman Kerry McCluggage, AIDS Action's Acting Executive Director Claudia French cited Dr. Laura's on-air rant against AIDS funding as evidence that the talk show host's uninformed views have the potential to do real damage to young people at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. "She's not a medical doctor, but she's about to play one on TV. Of course personal responsibility is important, but Dr. Laura doesn't take seriously her responsibility to understand what she's talking about before dispensing advice to millions," said French. "Dr. Laura hasn't a clue where HIV is spreading fastest these days," said French. "Women are getting it from their partners. Teens are getting it in dorm rooms. Seniors are getting it in their golden years. It may be comfortable for Dr. Laura to think HIV is being spread only in dank bathhouses, but that's not true. That impression makes young people feel they aren't at risk, and that's a tragedy." "Half of all new HIV infections in America are in people under the age of 25. Two young people become infected with HIV every hour. Why? Because they don't feel they're at risk. Because people like Dr. Laura, who is not a medical doctor, are perpetuating dangerous myths about the disease. It would be irresponsible of Paramount to distribute such a dangerous message, and they should not do so," French added. AIDS Action is the national voice on AIDS, representing all Americans affected by HIV/AIDS and 3,200 community-based service organizations that serve them. |
Fraiser executive producer David Lee 
The Rev. Troy Perry will speak out against Dr. Laura today in Los Angeles 
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