From: wrobboy@news.weeg.uiowa.edu (William Robboy)
Subject: Re: more River Phoenix
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:53:44 GMT

dcohen@bosserv writes:

>In a recent _Boston Globe_ interview, River Phoenix closed by saying,
>(paraphrased)

>"I just wish everyone could get along, whether they are black or white,
> straight or gay, with or without AIDS."

>Is anyone completely sure that Mr. Phoenix is heterosexual?  I would think
>otherwise after this quote.

>Also, I'm just praying silently, because I think he's completely gorgeous.  :-)

It's just dandy by me if the conclusion is correct--i.e., that Phoenix is queer.
But that the thinking that leads to it is, fortunately, dead wrong.
Heterosexuals are perfectly capable of wanting everyone to get along, and I'm
grateful for the ones who do. Which is not to say that we can't ask more
of them than that, or that we don't get it sometimes. I'm pleased with the
quote, as far as it goes, but it's only mildly gay-positive, let alone a
coming-out statement.

William Robboy
wrobboy@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu
blawlrwy@uiamvs.bitnet

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

Date:         Wed, 22 Jul 92 14:42:05 MST
From: "Gabriel (in New Mexico)" <G9348712%NMSUVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      fish

I will second Tamara's comment.  I found Kevin's sigfile mention of "fish"
(to be interpreted as "woman," I suspect from the context) also bothersome.

Gabriel (in New Mexico)

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

From: Greg Pratt <aragon@lachesis.acm.rpi.edu>
Subject: "One Life To Live" -- Wednesday's synopsis
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 18:15:37 EDT

Today's episode is a turning point in the story.  The rumors of Reverend
Carpenter seducing Billy will probably come to a halt, but two new threats
will come to the horizon.

The show opens at the vestry meeting, which has reconvened.  (Damn I can't
remember this part.)  The scene changes quickly to the community center,
where Hank Gannon's daughter, Rachel, is pondering something in a room.
Suddenly, a rock comes smashing through the window, narrowly missing Rachel.
She gets up, and picks up the rock, which has a note wrapped around it.  The
note reads, "HOMO HANG-OUT."

The next scene is of Andrew nervously pacing outside of the room where the
vestry meeting is being held.  Hank comes up to him for a chat, telling him
about the incident that just happened with the rock.  He tells him that he
can't stand the bigotry that has suddenly surfaced.  He says, "Gay bashing is
_real_.  It's real, and it's ugly.  Whether you're gay or not, that doesn't
mean squat to me."  But, at the same time, he suggests to Andrew that he step
down from his position at the community center, for everyone's good.  "If
you're not [gay], and you're keeping silent, there's going to be more anger,
more gossip, and a lot more of these stones."  Andrew gets pissed, asking
Hank if he thinks that he is the cause of the attack at the community center
-- I hope you're not doing too much rape counseling these days."  Andrew
reiterates his earlier stance on privacy, which Hank agrees with fully.
However, Andrew adds that people are so concerned about the role model he is
making himself out to be... and asks hank what those kids at the community
center will think if he backs down now, and gives his conscience in to fear.
Hank seems slightly annoyed, but he goes along with it.

Asa Buchanan, who is a real butthead supreme, runs into Cassie at the country
club.  She mentions that she is meeting Reverend Carpenter for lunch, and Asa
refers to him as "Randy Andy."  Cassie tells Asa that she doesn't go around
repeating other people's rumors, in about as cool a voice as you can get
while still retaining a smile.  They are joined by a man who Asa calls
"Judge," who mentions that Andrew's been on a lot of people's minds lately.
The judge goes on to explain that Andrew has refused a request from the
club's membership board to surrender his membership (this having to do with
the anonymous letter that the country club received saying that the reverend
was using the country club as a rendezvous).  He says to Cassie, "Perhaps you
could persuade him to do the gentlemanly thing and... just clean out his
locker."  Cassie chews out Asa about this, wanting to know what's going on.
Asa tells her that a person's private life is their own business, but "some
people can mask it better than others."  A fight ensues, after which Asa
tells Cassie that Andrew doesn't have any guts, and how she should do herself
a favor and go out and find herself "a real man."  After Asa leaves, Cassie
looks over the letter again which she received yesterday... the one which
reads, "How's your FAG LOVER in the sack?"

Back at the vestry meeting, Viki is explaining to the members how to vote --
simply raise your hand.  Phillip Clarkson cuts in, saying, "Amen to that.
What's at stake is the moral fiber of this church.  Viki then continues by
saying that they had best make the right decision, one based on moral
conscience, and not from fear.  She reminds them that Billy courageously came
before the vestry and told them all that Andrew Carpenter never laid a hand
on Billy, or even tried.  Elizabeth MacNamara cuts in, saying that Viki has
missed the whole point:  "If the Reverend Carpenter is homosexual, he should
have the courage to say so, and step down as the leader of this church.
Instead, he's hiding behind some smokescreen of constitutional rights."  Viki
asks Viki, "You do believe in the Constitution, don't you Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth scowls and tells Viki "Don't get snippy with me!  If homosexuality
is all that benign... if its just another lifestyle, then why hide it?"  Viki
tells her, "Because society punishes you for it, just as we are about to
punish Andrew.  And, may I remind you, we don't even know for sure that he
_is_ gay!"

Phil Clarkson brings up the point again -- why doesn't he have the "backbone"
to declare his sexuality?  Viki restates what she already has a dozen times
or so: he is standing up for his principles in privacy.  Renee adds, "He
believes in good old fashioned American privacy."  Phil isn't impressed,
saying he can have as much as he wants when he's been dismissed.   He then
calls for an immediate vote, claiming that there has been enough chatter.

Viki calls Andrew in from the hall, asking him to speak on his own behalf to
the vestry members.  Virginia Douglas, of all people, starts off the
questions:  "What is a homosexual?  What does it mean?  Is it just a
lifestyle, or is it an illness?"  "Or a sin?" adds Phil.  "If it's bad, do we
want a homosexual to be the leader of our church?  Do we approve of this kind
of life?  Do we approve of the person who leads..."  Mrs. Douglas' voice
trails off.  She continues by saying that the question she really wants an
answer to is if Andrew is in fact gay.  Elizabeth cuts in, backing up
Virginia on this, in her own abrasive way: the answer to that question, she
implies, would probably dictate the vestry's actions.  Andrew tells her that
she knows full well that he has no intention of answering that question, just
as he has not in the past; it is none of their business.  Elizabeth tells him
that his life is _not_ private: "You are the minister of this church and you
are the role model for our children.  And I think that we have the right to
want a normal person to lead St. James, and not a pervert!"

Andrew tells Elizabeth that he agrees with a lot of what she just said.  If
he was a drunk or an embezzler, the parishioners should have the right to
know about this.  But, what goes on in one's bedroom, he maintains, is
private, not public.

He finishes with this:  "I have done nothing... nothing to be ashamed of.
And if this church is to stand for anything, it is to stand for love and to
for understanding.  And Mrs. MacNamara, words like 'pervert' are not going to
help us solve these problems."  Phil Clarkson cuts him off, telling him that
he has heard enough words on this subject, and calls for the vote.  Elizabeth
seconds the motion.  Viki starts to protest, but Andrew tells them all that
he has had his say -- they need to vote on their conscience now.

Viki begins the vote by asking people to raise their hand if they are in
favor of asking Reverend Carpenter for his resignation.  Elizabeth
interrupts, asking why it won't be done on secret ballot.  Viki points out to
Elizabeth that since she was so anxious to dig into Andrew's privacy, she
hardly though that she would be interested in her own privacy in voting.
Elizabeth begrudgingly agrees, and Viki calls out the vote again: "All those
in favor of asking for Andrew's resignation, please raise their right hands."

Phillip Clarkson and Elizabeth MacNamara raise their right hands.  Virginia
Douglas remains at rest.  Phillip and Elizabeth are shocked: "Virginia
Douglas, you are with us, aren't you?" asks Elizabeth.  Viki cuts in, telling
them that there will be no coercion of a vote, which Phillip supposedly said
earlier.  Viki continues:  "All those in favor of keeping Andrew Carpenter as
our minister, please raise your hands."  Renee and Viki both raise their
hands.

Then, nervously, and slowly, so does Mrs. Douglas.  My own breath lets out,
and I squeal with joy.  Okay, so maybe I *am* getting too involved in this...
:-)

Out in the hallway, the door opens.  Philip and Elizabeth walk past Andrew
looking like they had both just swallowed a skinned lemon.  Viki breaks the
news:  "You *won*!  You won!"  Andrew is a bit confused at first, because he
suddenly realizes that it was Mrs. Douglas that must have been the vote that
saved his neck.  Virginia Douglas walks out of the conference room and looks
at him, and Andrew asks Renee and Viki if he can have some time alone with
Mrs. Douglas.

She explains to Andrew that she was originally going to vote against him.
But when the time came to vote, she just couldn't do it.  She asks him, "Is
homosexuality a sickness?  Is there... can it be cured?"  Andrew responds: "I
think I understand what you're asking.  Homosexuality is... I don't believe
it's a sickness.  It's a way of being."  "Is it a sin?"  Andrew tells her,
"There are those in the church who believe it is.  There are those who
don't."  "What do you think?" asks Mrs. Douglas.

"I think we were all created in God's image.  Different sizes, different
races, different shapes, different sexes... all human.  And I think that to
be cruel to another human being, that's a sin.  And to live a life without
love... that's the worst sin of all."

"Thank you..." Mrs. Douglas replies, her tears welling in her eyes and
streaming down her face.  Andrew tells her, "Thank *you*," as they part
company.

The next scene is in the country club, where Mr. Douglas has caught up with
his wife, and they are having a meal.  Mr. Douglas is bad-mouthing Elizabeth
MacNamara for not having any moral courage; he has not found out yet that it
was his wife who cast the deciding vote.  She begins to try and calm him down
when Renee stops by the table, and tells Mrs. Douglas how courageous she was,
as was Billy.  She leaves, telling a baffled Mr. Douglas that he should be
proud of both of them.  Mrs. Douglas looks nervous.

Mr. Douglas is *livid* at his wife's vote, as well as the fact that she had
not told him yet.  She tells him that Billy came of his own free will to tell
the vestry that nothing had happened.  Walter Douglas is still angry, trying
to figure out what it is that he needed to talk to someone else about that he
couldn't trust his own parents with.  His wife tells him softly, "Walter,
sometimes a young man like Billy needs someone to talk to... to say things to
someone that he can't say to his parents."  Mr. Douglas starts to ask what he
could possibly have to say to a stranger that he couldn't talk to about with
his own mother and father.  His voice trails off as he looks at his wife, who
is staring silently at him, with a sad look in her eyes.  Mr. Douglas stops
cold.  "No.  No!  NO!  Do not even *think* of what it is you're thinking!" he
hisses.  Walter Douglas is shocked beyond words, and angry at the very
thought.  Angry, and afraid, in a way.

They both know, in a way, now.  Virginia Douglas knows why Billy was afraid,
and why he has been acting strangely.  You can read it on her face -- the
pieces fell together at that meeting for her.

Viki is meeting with Andrew in his first day back on the job, and he is
wearing his collar for the first time in quite a while.  In their
conversation, Andrew's father's name comes up.  Viki doesn't tell him that he
is dying, but she does try to tell him to show him the same understanding as
he gives the rest of the community.  She won't say any more, though, which
leaves Andrew puzzled.

Andrew later receives a calling from Cassie.  She brought with her the note,
and laid it before him.  She tells him that she cannot stand by him through
this mess, which probably has not ended yet. Andrew reads the note, which is
the note handed to her yesterday by Marty through the maitre d'.  When he
looks up, she is gone.

I think they have gotten the show through the child molestation sequence.
But, the homophobia will probably only be beginning.  And, now that Billy's
mom has probably figured out his the beginning of his secret, I'm sure that
will fuel a part of the storyline.
--
Gregory Pratt                               "The problem with the gene pool
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute            is that there is no lifeguard."
Association for Computing Machinery                             --- unknown

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