Inside / Outside The Beltway
Year:
1992
Role:
Writer, Associate Producer
Series weaving together the stories of ten major characters from various walks of life, both gay and straight and touched on such issues as HIV, AIDS, gay parenting, drug addiction, coming out and rape.
About:
Originally appeared as a 5-minute Entertainment slot in the cable access news program, "Gay Fairfax." After 6 short episodes, the episodes were re-produced into one 20-minute segment, and the show spun off from the original program. "Inside/Outside the Beltway" won a GLAAD Media Award for Best Dramatic Series regionally (Washington, DC) in 1993 or 1994.Preceded Queer as Folk (1999), both British and US versions, Will & Grace (1998), Ellen(1994), and the Barr/Hemingway kiss on "Roseanne" (1994) _ in the positive portrayal of Gay Lesbian, and Bisexual characters by several years.
"LATHERING THE AIRWAVES Inside/Outside the Beltway is self-described as "the only nationally-viewed gay soap opera and one of very few nationally-distributed gay programs" in the U.S. The Washington, DC-based cable program has just kicked off its third season, and is set to begin airing in 12 major U.S. television markets (New York City, Boston, Buffalo, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, Dallas, L.A., San Francisco, Anchorage, and DC). According to producers, the third season of the hard-hitting soap opera "continues to weave together the stories of ten major characters from various walks of life, both gay and straight, and touches on such issues as HIV, AIDS, gay parenting, drug addiction, coming out and rape." Dennis Brooks, executive producer, thinks its fitting that his show's national debut follows in the wake of November's so-called "right-wing voter backlash." "With so much out there on talk radio and cable telling gays and lesbians that they are evil, sinful or deviant, I'm proud that Inside/Outside the Beltway will be a positive force in people's lives," Brooks said. If it's not already doing so, encourage your local cable company to carry this and other lesbian/gay/bisexual programming.
For more information about Inside/Outside the Beltway, write to IOB Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 13,
Springfield, VA 22150-0013, tel. 703-569-0608.
--Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Watch 2/3/95
