For Release: January 31st, 2000
On February 19, 1999, in Sylacauga, Ala., 39-year-old computer programmer Billy Jack Gaither was murdered--the victim of a violent hate crime. One of the convicted killers testified Gaither was killed because he was "queer."
Frontline "Assault on Gay America" asks why gays like Gaither and Matthew Shepard have become the targets of such brutality? The program airs Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 10/9 p.m. CT on KET and Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2.
Frontline correspondent Forrest Sawyer explores the roots of homophobia in America--as a catalyst for hate crimes and as a phenomenon that permeates our society--and asks how these attitudes, beliefs and fears contribute to the recent rise in violence against gays.
Frontline "Assault on Gay America" is presented by WGBH/Boston, WTVS/Detroit, WPBT/Miami, WNET/New York and KCTS/Seattle. The program is closed-captioned for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Viewers can find out more about programming on KET by visiting the KET Web site at http://www.ket.org, a Kentucky.com affiliate.
Contact: Todd Piccirilli
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