A provocative examination of homophobia
By Hal Boedeker, The Orlando Sentinel
Billy Jack Gaither sang in the church choir, lived with his elderly parents in a small Alabama town and tried several times to become heterosexual.
When he was killed by two men a year ago, he became one of the most famous victims of homophobia.
Homophobia, the fear or hatred of gay people, receives a fascinating examination in PBS' ``Assault on Gay America.''
The provocative, adult program airs at 10 tonight on PBS' WMFE-Channel 24. It is a superb work from correspondent Forrest Sawyer and producer Claudia Pryor Malis.
The Frontline documentary explores sexual confusion, restrictive masculine images and religious objections to homosexuality. Even the Rev. Jerry Falwell is worried about homophobia.
But the strongest scenes focus on Gaither and the horrifying details of his killing. Steve Mullins stabbed Gaither in the neck, then beat him to death with an ax handle and burned the body.
Mullins refused to talk to Frontline, which draws on an ABC interview. Gaither had treated Mullins as a friend, but Mullins says he was offended when Gaither propositioned him.
``I was going to do whatever I had to do to kill Billy Jack,'' Mullins says. ``To me, it didn't seem like it was any different than waking up and saying, `I'm going to the grocery store this afternoon.' ''
Fear permeates the story. It turns out that Mullins dreaded the revelation of his own homosexuality.
Long before his death, fear cost Gaither. The 39-year-old man never discussed his dates or settled down with anyone because he wanted to spare his parents' feelings.
Irrational fear blinded Gaither's other killer. Frontline offers a devastating interview with Charles Butler, who helped Mullins burn the body. Butler and Mullins are serving life sentences for Gaither's murder.
Butler says though he went to gay clubs, no one could think he was gay. His reasoning:He didn't look gay.
Gay stereotypes are obviously warping some people. The program visits a workshop at the State University of New York at Stonybrook. Students ridicule supposedly gay traits, such as being open and sharing feelings, while admiring supposedly straight ones, such as being inexpressive and never talking about feelings.
Beyond sexual issues, such narrow thinking can't bolster anyone's humanity. Do you want a society where people play images rather than be themselves?
``Homophobia becomes a real straitjacket pushing us toward a very traditional definition of masculinity,'' sociologist Michael Kimmel says. ``Homophobia is the fear that people might get the wrong idea about you.''
Statistics underline the disturbing results of hating gays and lesbians. Bias crimes against gays doubled between 1990 and 1998, according to the FBI. A survey of nearly 500 gay high school students found that 69 percent had been harassed.
Forensic psychologist Karen Franklin says young men might assault gays to prove their masculinity. Another explanation:Psychologist Henry Adams conducted a study that found homophobic men are repressing their own homosexual feelings.
For Falwell, increased tensions in society over homosexuality are troubling. ``I began to see that the level of hostility on both sides had reached a point where it is very volatile,'' he says. ``We've got to reach the hearts of people to stop it.''
Mel White, a former Falwell speech writer who came out, warns, ``Religious rhetoric kills people when it's anti-gay.''
Falwell played host to White's group last fall to discuss their differences. But for Falwell, homosexuality remains a matter of choice.
Disputing that view is Gaither's sister, Kathy, a lesbian. Billy Jack and Kathy tried to change themselves to please their parents.
``I got engaged one time,'' Kathy says. ``He got engaged. But we weren't true to our hearts. We wanted the family's respect. We'd do anything we could to make sure that they knew, `Hey, we love you all.' It was very hard living a lie.''
To reach TV critic Hal Boedeker, write:The Orlando Sentinel, MP-12, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, Fla. 32802-2833. Phone:407-420-5756. E-mail: hboedeker@orlandosentinel.com
From:SARATOGANY@aol.com
Tue, 15 Feb 2000 07:17:03 -0500 (EST)
Subject:PBS:"Assault on Gay America" Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 pm EST
To:SARATOGANY@aol.com, bdm3g@gateway.net
Msg fwd by:
The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020
Email to:saratogany@aol.com
"The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project"
CSS-NYS Note:Recommend this program be taped.
=========================================================
PBS:"Assault on Gay America" Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 pm EST
The next PBS Frontline series will focus on "Assault on Gay America". This episode will be an examination of anti-gay violence in the U.S., including an in-depth examination of the murder of Billy Jack Gaither and the motivations of gay-bashers. The program will feature some information regarding anti-gay bias in schools.
Jerry Falwell has alerted readers of his news alerts that he will be appearing on the program, discussing the biblical perspective on homosexuality.
Frontline will broadcast on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 pm EST, 9 pm CST, & 8 pm MST
============================================================
This message is from GLSEN-Talk, the list-serve of GLSEN's chapter
leaders.
...........................................................
Please check your local listings for an important new FRONTLINE / PBS
program called:Assault on Gay America
Premiering February 15, 2000 on PBS stations nationwide
The program will feature some information regarding anti-gay bias in schools, and will (we've been told) highlight GLSEN's public service announcement and key findings from its 1999 National Youth School Climate Survey. The producers attended and shot footage at GLSEN's 1999 national conference, Teaching Respect for All, in Atlanta. Here's some more info:
"On February 19, 1999, in Sylacauga, Alabama, 39-year-old computer programmer Billy Jack Gaither was murdered - the victim of a violent hate crime. One of the convicted killers testified he killed Gaither because he was "queer." Why have gays like Gaither and Matthew Shepard become the targets of such brutality? On February 15, nearly one year after the Gaither murder, FRONTLINE correspondent Forrest Sawyer explores the roots of homophobia in America-as a catalyst for hate crimes and as a phenomenon that permeates our society-and asks how these attitudes, beliefs, and fears contribute to the recent rise in violence against gays."
Produced by Claudia Pryor Malis
Field Producer: Deborah Fryer
Editor: Jean Tsien
Camera: Hank Holton
Sound: Frank Tonhazy
Correspondent: Forrest Sawyer
...........................................................
Visit the GLSEN Blackboard online:http://www.glsen.org/
Past GLSENTalk posts are archived on the GLSEN Blackboard:
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You may add or remove yourself from this mailing list by going to:
"Assault on Gay America" airs Tuesday, February 15, 2000 at 10 p.m. EST on PBS (check local listings).
On February 19, 1999, thirty-nine-year-old Billy Jack Gaither was murdered-the victim of a vicious hate crime. During the trial, one of the convicted killers testified he killed Billy Jack because he was "queer." Why have gays like Gaither and Matthew Shepard become the targets of such brutality?
FRONTLINE correspondent Forrest Sawyer takes measure of the national crisis facing gay citizens and explores the roots of homophobia in America-asking how these attitudes, beliefs, and fears contribute to the recent rise in violence against gays in "Assault on Gay America."
Access the film's companion Web site at http://www.pbs.org/frontline immediately following broadcast for a Viewer's Guide and more on this report, including news stuides on the roots of homophobia, extended interviews with the family of Billy Jack Gaither, and the latest research on the nature of homosexuality including a look at the question, "Can gays be cured or converted?"
_________________________________________________________________________
This message has been distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this
information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Please
do not publish or post in a public place on the Internet, copyrighted
material without permission and attribution.
Forwarding of this material should not necessarily be construed as an endorsement of the content. Some messages may be from anti-gay organizations and are forwarded as opposition research.
The next PBS Frontline series will focus on "Assault on Gay America". This episode will be an examination of anti-gay violence in the U.S., including an in-depth examination of the murder of Billy Jack Gaither and the motivations of gay-bashers.
Jerry Falwell has alerted readers of his news alerts that he will be appearing on the program, discussing the biblical perspective on homosexuality.
Frontline will broadcast on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 pm EST, 9 pm CST, & 8 pm MST.
From:SeanMcLaughlin@aol.com
Sat, 12 Feb 2000 14:25:59 -0500 (EST)
Subject:program on gay bashing Tues. on PBS
FRONTLINE PROGRAM ON GAYS AND HATE
From Frontline's Web site:On February 15, 2000 at 10:00pm EST (check local listings) FRONTLINE, a PBS Show, will be dedicated to gay bashing. On February 19, 1999, in Sylacauga, Alabama, 39-year-old computer programmer Billy Jack Gaither was murdered - the victim of a violent hate crime. One of the convicted killers testified he killed Gaither because he was "queer." Why have gays like Gaither and Matthew Shepard become the targets of such brutality? On February 15, nearly one year after the Gaither murder, FRONTLINE correspondent Forrest Sawyer explores the roots of homophobia in America-as a catalyst for hate crimes and as a phenomenon that permeates our society-and asks how these attitudes, beliefs, and fears contribute to the recent rise in violence against gays.
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Last updated 2/15/2000 by Jean Richter, richter@eecs.Berkeley.EDU