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Pen Points
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Susan B. Anthony is a Female Chauvinist Cow
It was something of a shock to see a man writing about Susan B. Anthony a freedom fighter. (Bob Minor: "Sisters Who Redefined Our Freedoms") One thing Ms. Anthony certainly did not approve of was liberated males.
In her ideal world, it was the obligation of every man to take a woman as wife, be steadfastly loyal to her, deny himself all his own pleasures and vices, work very hard and take every penny of his earnings home to his wife to be spent at her discretion. In Anthony's Utopia, women rule and men pay tribute. It was largely a financial thing: to Anthony, the purpose of men is to support women. As Jane Austin had earlier put it, "It is a fact universally acknowledged" by women, at least, "that every man in possession of a fortune must be in want of a wife" to spend his fortune.. According to her biographer, Lynn Sherr, in 1871 Ms. Anthony told an interviewer that when women got the vote they would "do away with vice and immorality, prevent the social evil [prostitution] by giving women remunerative employment, forbid the sale of spiritous liquors and tobacco, and teach men a higher and nobler life than the one they now follow." Ms Anthony's agenda was not much different from those of today's religious right and the proponents of the so-called "family values." There is not a doubt in my mind that the old female chauvinist cow meant to include male-male relationships (which "rob" a woman of a man to support her) as well as premarital and extramarital sex (sex without a contract to support a woman) and keeping of mistresses [competitors to wives who probably got a share of the man's income which "rightfully" belonged to the wives] in the "vice and immorality" she hoped to do away with. Were she alive and agitating today, we'd probably be picketing, boycotting and writing letters against Susan B. Anthony. Dick Leitsch Advice to Media about Roman Catholic Priests' Scandals
Unfortunately, much coverage still falls far short. At the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, we are concerned about the integrity of this reporting because our mission within the news industry is to foster fair and accurate coverage of the gay and lesbian community. Reports in recent weeks have included some of the most unfair and distorted portrayals of gay men in decades, lacking balance and alternative voices. Recent reports about the American cardinals meeting with Pope John Paul II, for example, once again quote Catholic Church officials who cast gay men as emotionally disturbed, link our community with pedophilia, and fail to include other credible sources with opposing opinions. As journalists and leaders of NLGJA, we acknowledge our job to report assertions by Catholic officials that the presence of gay clergy has resulted in sexual abuse cases, as well as stated beliefs that link pedophilia and gay men. However, if similar statements were made about other minority and stigmatized groups, reporters and editors would feel obliged to find sources to challenge those allegations. NLGJA urges that the same professional standards be applied to stories concerning gays and lesbians. Coverage of the cardinals' meeting offered a number of examples of how we in the news media can do better.
Additional reporting may have revealed that the Catholic Church does not have a problem with pedophiles. Instead, it may be one of ephebophiles, or individuals exclusively attracted to adolescents. More reporting might have turned up Dr. Fred S. Berlin, associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. In a statement that offered substantial balance and context, Dr. Berlin recently educated The New York Times readers that: "...We should make it clear that homosexuals are no more risk to children than heterosexuals. In terms of the bigger picture, there are every bit as many heterosexual men giving into sexual temptation with female adolescents." When news organizations cover instances of sexual abuse by heterosexual adults against children of the opposite sex, they are not cast as stories about sexual orientation. They are accurately reported as crimes against children. Without including balancing comment in the Catholic Church story, news organizations allow themselves to be spun by church officials who appear more interested in deflecting responsibility for these crimes. News coverage about the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has done more to link gay men with pedophilia than any story in decades. Without balance, expert inquiry and opposing views, such charges can create long-lasting and inaccurate ideas that will damage the lives of gay and lesbian people for decades. As journalists we owe it to our readers and viewers to uphold a basic practice of our profession: Get all sides of the story.
Sincerely,
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The continuing scandal surrounding sexual abuse of children and youths by Catholic priests is a complex story that troubles our readers and viewers. And it has presented numerous challenges for journalists. Much reporting has risen to the occasion and delivered sophisticated and informed coverage on this complex, evolving story.
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