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Gay Rights Groups Unimpressed by “Dr. Laura’s” Apology

After losing more than 70 national advertisers for her new television talk-show, radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger issued an apology to the gay and lesbian community for her on-air comments that homosexuals are “degenerate” and “a biological error.” The statement, which appeared in this month’s issue of Variety, came just after Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, when people atone for their sins. Schlessinger did not apologize for her opinions or indicate that she had changed her views of gays and lesbians, saying only that, in discussing the issue, “some of [her] words were poorly chosen.” She upholds prior statements that her faith, Orthodox Judaism, mandates her view of homosexuality. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which has been a leading group in protesting Dr. Laura, responded to the apology, saying “Laura Schlessinger once again blames others for the impact of her rhetoric, refusing to take responsibility for her precisely chosen, scientifically inaccurate descriptions of gay and lesbian lives.” Gay and lesbian rights activists argue that Dr. Laura’s rhetoric continues to depict LGBT individuals and families as degenerate and unacceptable.

Sources:

Stop Dr. Laura and Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and New York Times and Washington Post - October 11, 2000

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