After many months of controversy over her anti-gay statements to millions
of radio listeners, Dr. Laura ascended the airwaves to an even higher and
mightier pulpit. Her crusade has reached televisionland.
Over the summer, Schlessinger held onto the misconceptions that led her to
describe homosexuality as "a biological error" manifested by "deviants."
Meanwhile, she tried some damage control -- but couldn't let go of her
bigotry.
In a July interview with Time magazine, she insisted: "Not being able to
relate normally to a member of the opposite sex is some kind of error. I do
not see that as insulting at all. It is a statement of biological fact."
Actually, it's nothing of the kind. Dr. Laura is about as scientific as
William Jennings Bryan was at the Scopes trial, thumping the Bible as a
backbeat for old prejudices. Fortunately, these days, most clergy are far
more enlightened.
"The anti-gay beliefs you espouse on a regular basis -- that homosexuality
is 'deviant' and that gays can and should be cured -- are entirely outside
the mainstream of scientific thought," said an open letter to Schlessinger,
signed last February by more than 100 religious leaders, along with heads
of medical, child-welfare and civil rights groups.
Dr. Laura should be known as "Dr. Ignorant." Her persistent claim that
being gay amounts to being ill has been repudiated by such organizations as
the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and
the American Psychological Association.
Yet it seems that Dr. Laura is enmeshed in her own rhetoric, which isn't
just inflammatory -- it's also very harmful. Using the mass media to
denigrate gays is especially injurious to young people.
The open letter that Schlessinger received (and evidently ignored) seven
months ago emphasized the point: "Nowhere are the consequences of anti-gay
feelings more apparent than in the high number of suicides among gay
youth.... While suicide is the ultimate consequence of homophobia, studies
find that gay youth -- and youth who are perceived to be gay -- are more
likely to get beat up, feel isolated, and have trouble in school." Right
now, Dr. Laura is a public health hazard.
Many of her fans have the impression that Schlessinger is some kind of
doctor, but her degree is in physiology. Whatever her credentials, she
excels at passing judgment, swiftly and rigidly. Dr. Laura condemns anyone
whose sexual actions -- homosexual, heterosexual or whatever -- don't
adhere to her line. And Dr. Laura's daily television show offers more of
the same.
"I'm trying to teach morals, values, ethics and principles," Schlessinger
said in late summer, adding that her TV program scored with test audiences:
"They liked it more and more when I was talking right into the camera,
giving people the concept of what's right and wrong on a certain issue."
As Chicago Tribune television critic Steve Johnson has noted, "the radio
show seems to consist of some fairly damaged people seeking quick answers
from someone who barely has time to grasp even the basics of their
situations." With perhaps undue optimism about the sensibilities of the
nation's viewers, Johnson commented: "It is hard to imagine the God-like
benedictions and upbraidings that Schlessinger dispenses on her radio show
going over well on TV."
Under pressure from gay rights advocates, several major advertisers --
including Procter & Gamble, Priceline.com, Sears and AT&T -- stopped
sponsoring the Dr. Laura radio program. But so far, Dr. Laura has been able
to sustain the momentum of her show-biz bandwagon. Despite all the efforts
to block it, she remains on a roll.
Days before the Sept. 11 premiere of Dr. Laura's syndicated TV show, some
of her adversaries were striving to put the best face on recent events. For
example, the Horizons Foundation issued a news release saying that "several
gay rights activists and business leaders saw the public and corporate
backlash against Dr. Laura's homophobic stances as a turning point for
attitudes toward gays and lesbians."
Perhaps. But most of the way through 2000, the fortunes of Dr. Laura
indicate that some of the largest media institutions in the country are
still willing to heavily promote national broadcasts that disparage the
humanity of certain people because of their sexual orientation. And too
often, it's easy to be complacent -- if the poisonous barbs aren't aimed
directly at us.
Norman Solomon is a syndicated columnist. His latest book is The Habits of
Highly Deceptive Media.
