From: ECL4JN2@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Jack B. Nimble)
Subject: GLAAD: Spike Lee Controversy
Date: 16 Dec 92 15:49:43 PST

               (from GLAAD/LA Reports - Jan. 93)

Charges of racism and homophobia...
"X" Marks the Spot

Spike Lee's most important picture to date, "Malcolm X," vividly
recounts one man's journey to overcome the oppression of racism.
Garnering almost as much press time as the merits of the movie have
been the controversies surrounding Mr. Lee.   Charges of racism were
leveled after the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times reported
that requests for interviews from Lee regarding "Malcolm X,"
preference be given to reporters who are African-American.   Lee was
quoted as saying, "What I'm doing is using whatever clout I have to
get qualified African-Americans assignments.   The real crime is white
publications don't have black writers, that's the crime."   Enter David
Ehrenstein, the only African-American writing film criticism for a
national publication.   The name of the publication: The Advocate, a
national gay magazine.   David requested interview time but was not
given an appointment even though he had interviewed Lee on previous
occasions for the now defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.   And to
quote David's recent Advocate editorial, an interview would not be
granted, "Not now.   Not ever."  (Los Angeles Times columnist Liz Smith
theorized that while David qualified on the African-American portion
of Lee's request, the reason for not granting the interview was that
David is openly gay and is working for a gay publication.)   Additional
questions have come from some African-Americans who are upset that in
the movie the assassination of Malcolm X has been put at the doorstep
of the Nation of Islam because of the actions of some of its members.
They're disturbed that any role of the FBI or CIA has never been fully
investigated.

"X" has only a few references to gay activity, even though, according
to Ehrenstein, Malcolm's "gay experiences are one of the bigger open
secrets of modern African-American history."   The movie discharges the
word "fag" and/or "fey" a few times and only hints at some type of
homosexual activity between Malcolm X and an elderly man.   In
comparison to the unrelenting and damaging attacks by the vitriolic
right-wing, this is pale stuff.

Jim Emerson interviewed Spike for the Nov. 19 issue of the Orange
County Register and contacted GLAAD/LA Reports with the following
quotes from that interview:

Emerson: "Right now, gay civil rights are getting a lot of attention
as kind of the last frontier in the fight for equal rights in
America..."

Lee: "The gay movement, the women's movement, they all owe a lot to
the civil rights movement.   All of it applies, whether you're black,
minority, woman, or gay.   It's all about human rights."

Ehrenstein chronicles an impressive list of important issues that
overlap being African-American and being gay and lesbian, all of which
he would like to talk to Mr. Lee about.   Spike has been quiet on
these issues, going against his public personna as the brash,
mover-and-shaker on issues not deemed easily appropriate for
mainstream cinema.   Mr. Lee has learned to play the Hollywood game of
gaining press time for a movie in whatever way comes along.   But,
while his on-screen message against racism is clear, his track record
on supporting human rights for all American citizens raises questions.
Your comments can be directed to: Mr. Spike Lee, 40 Acres and a Mule
Productions, 124 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11217; Mr. David
Ehrenstein, The Advocate, 6922 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90028.

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