Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 8, 1994 TAG: 9403080062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
In 1990, Heidi Leiter and Missy Peters, now students at Radford University, were among the first openly lesbian couples in the country to attend a high school prom.
"We didn't do it for the publicity," Leiter said. "We went to prom because I was a senior, and I wanted to go to prom."
Peters had already graduated.
Before the dance, schoolmates at Osbourn Senior High School in Manassas heckled Leiter and painted anti-gay graffiti around the school. But afterward, a few classmates said they were glad the two women attended, Leiter said.
The prom fallout included national newspaper stories and appearances on television shows. Monday, an HBO television special aimed at middle and high school students premiered.
HBO paid Leiter $10,000 and Peters $2,500 to use their story in "More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter."
The show is part of the cable network's "Lifestories" series that chronicle real events and include a brief statement from the story's subject.
Leiter, 20, and Peters, 23, say they plan to marry when they graduate from Radford next year, and perhaps move to Florida.
Many clergy perform homosexual marriages, but the unions are not recognized by civil authorities.
The two women share a two-bedroom house near the campus with two dogs and a cat.
At school, as elsewhere, Leiter said she insists they be treated the same way heterosexual couples are treated.
People who notice her diamond engagement ring ask about her wedding plans, Leiter said.
"They say, `Oh, does he go here?' And I say, `No, but she does.' "
The two say they are not political activists, but make a point to speak to other students at Radford about their sexuality and reassure younger homosexuals they are not alone, Leiter said.
Their families accept the relationship, although Leiter's mother opposed her decision to go to the prom.
"Once she realized it was no big deal, that made her feel better," Leiter said. "Missy's become a part of the family."
Leiter said she was somewhat disappointed in the script for the HBO special.
"One of the scenes was where we fall in love, and it was really tacky. They had us falling in love while we were playing basketball together," instead of at a party, which is how Leiter said it really happened.
And the actress who portrays Peters has long blond hair, instead of Peters' short dark bob.
"I don't know if they're trying to make it easier for the heterosexual audience to visualize and stay interested," Leiter said.
"When they do casting, they don't look for look-alikes, they look for the best actors," said Quentin Schaffer, HBO vice president.
As for the basketball scene, Schaffer said, "It's important to show they've had a connection, and they're not just in a passionate embrace."
In her closing message, Leiter tells viewers: "This is who I am. This is who I've always been. It's not a choice I made. It's not something I decided to be. The only choice I made was not to lie about it."
by CNB