May 3, 2000

Well, it seems that 3 weeks of silence on gay issues was all Dr. Laura could stomach. After her brief attempt to keep quiet on gay issues, in order to save her multi-million dollar deal with Paramount Television, she's now trumpeting on her home page - www.drlaura.com - a book about "healing homosexuality", like it's some illness. The book is called "Coming Out Straight," and the forward is written by Laura Schlessinger herself. Gee, and Paramount giving her an audience of 20 million people won't be helping her hawk these anti-gay books, not at all. So much for Paramount's "promise" that Dr. Laura's days of going after gays were now over....

Please read the excerpt from Dr. Laura's site - at the bottom of this email - then feel free to give Paramount another call at the phone numbers just below, and tell them that "she's back, you broke your promise." Seriously folks, this is completely offensive. Paramount's senior management has made it clear that they view gay civil rights as not nearly as worthy a cause as compared to the civil rights of other minorities. If Paramount thinks it ok for someone to say that we need to be "cured" of being gay, like it was some venereal disease, then they need a stern lecture about civil rights and bigotry. And you, my friends, are the folks to give it to them.

Once again, were the target blacks or Jews, Paramount would never deign to defend this kind of thing. But since it's gays and lesbians, why not make a quick buck off of our pain, all in the name of the 'freedom of speech' that only seems to apply when gays are slurred.

PARAMOUNT/VIACOM PHONE NUMBERS

1. SUMNER REDSTONE, CEO of Viacom (which owns Paramount)
tel. 212-258-6310
fax 212-258-6311
Message: "Why is Viacom supporting prejudice - cancel the Dr. Laura show."

2. KERRY MCCLUGGAGE, Chmn. of Paramount
tel. LA 323-956-5076, NYC 212-258-6269
(He shares the NYC # with Co-President Joel Berman), fax: 323-862-1823
Message: "Cancel Dr. Laura" [same message for the rest of the calls below].

If you can do even more, call the following Paramount employees:

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. LA 323-956-5508, NYC 212-258-6654
fax 323-862-0282 and 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

MICHELLE HUNT, Head of Media Relations
tel: (323) 956-8266 fax: (323) 862-1323

----------------------

The excerpt from the book on her Web site reads:
http://www.drlaura.com/reading/index.html?mode=view&id=29

Excerpt from book jacket:
Richard Cohen, a former homosexual, now married with three children, struggled for most of his life with unwanted same-sex attractions. He tried desperately to find professionals who understood his condition and help him heal. Because “it was so difficult to explain myself to therapists, who didn’t have a clue,” Cohen eventually became a psychotherapist and developed both a ground-breaking understanding of same-sex attractions and a comprehensive treatment plan for healing homosexuality. Coming Out Straight not only details Cohen’s personal journey out of homosexuality but also recounts his experiences helping thousands of men, women, and adolescents heal their gender identity…

In simple language, Coming Out Straight presents the basic causes of same-sex attractions, a clear model for recovery, and stories of individuals who made the change. The book has three parts: In Part I, the author shares his own story and the root causes of same-sex attractions. Part II presents a four-stage model of recovery and healing. Part III discusses the healing of homophobia by overcoming fear and hatred of homosexuality.

While the book is meant to educate therapists, clergy, and other professionals, it also assists those who struggle with their own same-sex attractions, as well as their loved ones. Coming Out Straight sets forth an easy to understand primer on homosexuality both for family members and friends of homosexuals, as well as for the general public. It will open the door to a new, happier, and fulfilling heterosexual life.