Network Q

Preparing to enter its third year, Network Q, a video magazine aimed at gays and lesbians, offers a potpourri of hard news, personal profiles, entertaining tidbits, and just plain fluff. We watched the July `94 issue which opened with a powerful look at small-town bigotry in Ovett, Mississippi. Brenda and Wanda Henson, a couple who run a small feminist retreat called Camp Sister Spirit have been shot at, had pets murdered, and been chased at high speeds on the backroads. Although supporters have rallied to help the Henson's, the extreme religious right folk are trying to run the group off the land. a disturbing segment. Next comes the fluff: cute boy's butts in Pensacola, Florida. Called "Queer Holiday," this piece includes long shots of dancing and partying and strolling along the beach--just like MTV. The program picks up with an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Naiad Press, the oldest and largest women's publishing house in America; and a charming interview with Marty & Jeff, a Tallahassee, Florida gay couple who are struggling (with the right sense of humor) to break the news to their folks. The final segment interviews Jeff Miller, an openly gay country & western singer whose lyrics ("everyone knew we were just gay boys") are a little different from the cry in your beer stuff of a lot of C&W music. Overall, Network Q, which is amiably hosted by producer/director David Surber, offers a pretty good mix (like most magazines catering to a wide audience, different pieces will have greater or lesser appeal to different people). At $199, the annual subscription price is excellent (about $16.58 per video issue), and the single issue price of $24.95 is low enough to encourage a look. We think it would be a popular addition. Recommended. (R. Pitman)