ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 1997 TAG: 9703310073
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SAN JOSE, CALIF.
SOURCE: KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
The TV show will feature a lesbian character and an advertisement paid for by the gay community.
Two months after her Silicon Valley high-tech company went public, Jessica L. Stevens attended a Los Angeles dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, and offered to make a ``significant donation.''
Executive Director Elizabeth Birch invited Stevens to a board meeting in Washington, D.C., where she described the campaign's dream project: to produce a television spot about job discrimination against gays and lesbians - and to air it during an episode of the sitcom ``Ellen'' in which Ellen DeGeneres' character comes out as a lesbian. But the campaign didn't have the money.
``I said, `I'll front it myself,''' Stevens responded. ``That's the only way it'll get done.''
With that, the 39-year-old co-owner of Telegen in Redwood City, Calif., gave $225,000 for an ad that now is drawing nearly as much attention as the episode itself. Though the ABC network rejected the anti-discrimination spot as too controversial, it will air on San Francisco's KGO-TV during the April 30 episode. KNTV, San Jose's ABC affiliate, has not been contacted by the Human Rights Campaign but would most likely air the ad if asked, General Manager Stewart Park said.
``It was really an opportunity for me to do what I think is right,'' Stevens said. ``I have a very nice ownership position in Telegen that allows me the position to do important things with the money.''
Stevens, whose company makes telecommunications software and flat display screens, has been openly lesbian from an early age and has never lost a job as a result of her sexual orientation. But she is well aware that gays frequently suffer workplace discrimination.
``There are people who are still fired to this day for being gay or lesbian,'' she said. She points out that in most states there is no legal recourse for workers who are dismissed for being homosexual. ``How can you have that in America in the 1990s?''
Stevens also wants her contribution to serve as a salute to DeGeneres, whom she first met 10 years ago when the actress was performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco.
``I have the greatest respect for her,'' said Stevens. ``She's taking a risk.''
The sitcom's title character, played by DeGeneres, is scheduled to announce her sexual orientation in a highly publicized episode to be broadcast on ABC stations. The show will feature a glitzy cast of guest stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Laura Dern and Dwight Yoakum. ``Ellen'' will become the first television show with a lead character who is homosexual. DeGeneres is also expected to discuss her own sexual orientation in a televised interview with ABC reporter Diane Sawyer.
The Human Rights Campaign approached ABC about buying time for the 30-second, anti-discrimination spot during the ``Ellen'' show, but the network responded that it has a policy not to accept ``controversial issue advertising.''
Stevens said she understands ABC's position. The network consistently declines advertising that could be construed as controversial. But she finds it ironic that the ad is more of a problem for the network than the ``Ellen'' episode: ``They're going to run the show, yet they can't run an ad about something as non-controversial as discrimination?''
Birch, a former director of litigation for Apple Computers, said she and Stevens quickly found they shared a belief that corporate America can take the lead in promoting equality.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB