So after watching the 20/20 episode (I tend to not protest until I know what's fully going on), I sent an email to 20/20 telling them that I thought the show was at best shoddy journalism and at worst an attempt to instigate trouble. I detailed my problems with the "facts" and character references and backed them up pretty well. I asked that someone get back to me because not doing so would show how little they feel about their viewers. Know what their response was?
"Your message
To: ABC Audience Relations
Subject: 20/20
Sent: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 20:36:27 -0800
was deleted without being read on Tue, 30 Nov 2004 10:17:26 -0800"
Yeah. ABC apparently doesn't care. So let's show them how much their viewers mean. One reason the queer community hasn't gotten as far as it could is that it refuses to put economic pressure on corporations. One of our first reforms needs to be in the media - and we need to find a way to make it work, and in our society, money/purchasing power is the key. To quote Fannie Lou Hamer, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." So could we please, for the love of anything holy, get together and let ABC know that good journalism is warranted, but tabloids are not?