Dyke TV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dyke TV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Lesbian, LGBTQ |
| Created by | Ana María Simo |
| Presented by | Ana María Simo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Network | Gay Cable Network |
| Release | June 8, 1993 – 2025 |
Dyke TV was founded and created by Ana María 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 aired on June 8, 1993, in New York City.[1] The last episode aired in 2005. Dyke TV produced national documentary television programming. New episodes were produced weekly for the shows 12 years on air, and 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 to 2005, reaching over 6.5 million households nationwide, as well as being screened at national and international film festivals. In 1994, Dyke TV was awarded a Hometown Video Festival Award.[1]
Early on, Dyke TV was broadcast only through public access television in New York, but had the goal of creating a strong national network.[2] Within the first year they worked to reach that goal and expanded by the week, reaching 15 cities by 1994.[3] At its height, the show was accessible in 61 cities across the United States, including being picked up by PBS in Denver, which significantly increased accessibility in the area.[1] Dyke TV also sold tapes, including quarterly subscriptions or best of compilations, giving out of network fans the opportunity to watch the show.
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. Their mission, and their motto was to "Incite, Subvert, Provoke and Organize." 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[4] 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. Founder Linda Chapman remarked, co-founder Ana Simo "was looking for a better way to promote Lesbian Avengers and this seemed really ideal.” solidifying Dyke TV's position as fundamentally activism oriented.[5] Thus, Dyke TV was pivotal in highlighting often-unseen LGBTQ+ issues and news, particularly within the lesbian community.
Participation
Dyke TV was almost entirely run by volunteers, with only three paid staff members. Everything from networking and fundraising to production and distribution was volunteer based.[6] Episodes were filmed, hosted and produced in New York City at the Dyke TV studio, but most segments were sent in from volunteer stringers and correspondents from across the country.
