Dyke TV
Dyke TV was founded and created by Ana Maria Simo, playwright and cofounder of Lesbian Avengers; Linda Chapman, theater director and producer; and Mary Patierno, independent film and video maker.[1] The first episode was aired on June 8, 1993 in New York City. [1] [1] The last episode aired in 2005. Dyke TV produced national documentary television programming. Most episodes ran for a half hour. In January 2005, the last five episodes ran for an hour. It was broadcast on nationwide cable TV weekly from 1993–2005, reaching over 6.5 million households nationwide, as well as being screened at national and international film festivals.[1] In 1994, Dyke TV was awarded a Hometown Video Festival Award.[1]
Importance of Dyke TV
Dyke TV was created with the intention to provide empowerment for lesbians and increase visibility of lesbian issues, culture and community. Each episode began with news coverage of lesbian-related issues. Then, the episode covered diverse aspects of different lesbian communities, including art, health, politics, music, sports, etc.[1] Those featured in the episodes came from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, highlighting intersectional issues within the lesbian community.
The decade of the 1990s was a pivotal time for the LGBT community, with the rise of HIV/AIDS and the rise of ACT UP, the Riot grrrl Movement and Queercore, the murder of Brandon Teena, and pro and anti LGBTQ+ legislation across the country, including Oregon Ballot Measure 9 (1992).[1] Many of these issues were not discussed widely in mainstream news. Of the LGBTQ+ news that was discussed, the issues of cisgender gay men were highlighted, leaving behind much of the Queer community. Thus, Dyke TV was pivotal in highlighting often-unseen LGBTQ+ issues and news, particularly within the lesbian community.
| Episode Number | Air Date | Issues Discussed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 8, 1993 | Board of Education, Dyke March, Brooklyn Women's Martial Arts, Lesbian Visibility, Self Help, New Festival, Joan Jubela (Artist)[1] |
| 2 | June 15, 1993 | Military, Dee Deberry, ILGA Update, Civil Rights Bill, Queens Pride, Washington March, Lesbian Avenger, Cheryl Dunye (Artist), Janine (Artist)[1] |
| 3 | June 22, 1993 | Tampa, Dyke March, Puerto Rican Pride Parade, Military, Rugby, Community Health Project, Carmelita (Artist)[1] |
| 4 | June 29, 1993 | Dyke Pride March (NYC), Center Garden Party, Lesbian Herstory Archives Reopening, L&G Association Conference, Brave Smiles (Artist), Stick Figures (Artist), Lack of Leadership[1] |
| 5 | July 6, 1993 | Military, Dyke March, Angelo Esposito Conviction/Sentencing, NYC Lesbian & Gay Pride, Domestic Partnership, L&G Rodeo, Nicole Eisenman (Artist), Rove (artist)[1] |
References
External links
- Archived records of Dyke TV, 1993-2007, at Smith College]