OutInform: Houston Pride Guide 2015 Issue | Page 29
Often times, I was the only African American in school, so
growing up I felt like the odd girl out and the use of the "N"
word meant I would never fit in. In high school, I formed a
circle of friends who were all birds of a feather who flocked
together, meaning we all felt like misfits! Two of those
friends are Gay and I remember thinking how awful it must
be to have to keep that a secret. The stage was set for me to
give this cause a voice just as my parents had done during
the Civil Rights movement decades before.
BIOLOGY vs CHOICE
Another show we did was called, "Living A Lie". When people
were insisting that Gay was nothing but a choice, we had
guest who spoke of how painful it was to be in a heterosexual
marriage, when it was not their true self. Eventhough they
tried to appease society, in the end, you have to honor your
personal truth.
SUPREME COURT
HIV/AIDS
Early in my career, I covered this strange disease that did
not even have an official name. We were struggling to learn
what HIV AIDS really was, but the lesson I learned first was
how cruel people could be. Being Gay was already a struggle
in our society, but being blamed for a deadly disease was
ludicrous, yet it happened.
I saw families abandon sick loved ones. As a reporter in
Austin, I made it my mission to show people, not as AIDS
victims, but as human beings!
I would hold their hand during interviews. I would hug them
when they cried. Viewers were shocked and would ask,
"Aren't you afraid you'll get AIDS?" I took the opportunity to
educate them and remind them that, it was a human disease,
not a Gay disease. Soon, statistics caught up with us and
people began yo realize that this disease can affect anyone.
I also covered the repeal of the Sodomy Law, from the
originating case in Houston, to the Supreme Court Decision
to strike it down. I think eyes were opened when people
really looked at how prejudicial this case was!
MAINSTREAM
And last but not least, we continue to cover events that
may be of interest in the Gay community but we present
them as part of the overall happenings in our town. And
several openly Gay members of our community are routinely
featured in our segments covering topics that everyone can
share in. Point being, LGBT is not a separate community but
rather, part of our community, just like everyone else.
Deb
LGBT
On a "Debra Duncan" show several years ago, we spent the
whole hour talking about the definitions of LGBT. I wanted
to put a face to the titles. Chaz Bono was one of our guest.
By the end of the show, several people were surprised at
how "normal" the guests appeared to be! This is a case
where coming out of the closet actually helped to change
some minds.
pridehouston.org
OUTINFORM
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