At it’s website, GLAAD is calling on the troops to contact KBAK-TV in Bakersfield, CA over a report on public sex activities in public parks.
GLAAD is calling for a boycott of KBAK-TV and as one of it’s reasons is the following,
The story also reinforces stereotypes that can lead to anti-gay discrimination and uses unacceptable terminology, including the term “homosexual” – which violates Associated Press style guidelines – to describe the gay community.
This is not true. No where in the written context of the story nor in the video is the word homosexual used.
Nor from a journalistic standpoint does this report constitute what GLAAD may perceive as some kind of gay bashing.
KBAK’s coverage also includes an interview with a witness, shrouded in darkness, who identifies as a gay man and warns the public that children may be in danger. This story does nothing to illuminate the problem it purports to be tackling – illegal sex in public parks – and ultimately becomes little more than a repackaged sensationalized stunt that abandons basic journalistic practices.
In the voice-over the reporter clearly says “sometimes it’s men and women together, other times it’s two men”.
After the report, the news anchor discusses communication about the piece even before it aired, including GLAAD “who threatened to protest our station and go to our advertisers if we moved forward with the story”.
This report of KBAK-TV is just one of many that various media around the country have reported on, the use of public land or private property for sex. Be it parks, campgrounds, alleyways or truck rest-stops. Men and women, men and men or women and women. The News-Times has done stories about public sex from time to time at the Mill Plain rest area and the rest area on I-684. It has also reported on activity on Rose Hill Avenue.
This is not a new topic of reporting and in this writers opinion, when brought to the attention of the local media, it has the responsibility to report and in most likelihood with the help of law enforcement end such activity.
And yes, in the case of the park in the report, children may very well be in danger if such activity regardless of gender is taking place in restrooms or as the report says near bike trails.
“Fueling anti-gay stereotypes is never in the public interest,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs. “GLAAD strongly condemns KBAK’s airing of a story that uses tactics and language that feed on fears and create panic.”
You can not blame KBAK-TV if the majority of the offenders are men soliciting or having sex with other men.
Because the video report is not embeddable, you will find it and the written story at KBAK-TV’s website.
Once again GLAAD has gone overboard, this time by telling untruths and threatening a news organization even before a story goes to air, and given yet another black eye to the LGBT community.
As they say, wih friends like these who needs enemies ?
