Why is it so odd to see Janis Ian laughing with Howard Stern? When he says "Oh Janis, if you'd only slept with the right man you'd be straight" and I reply "Oh Howard, if you'd only slept with the right man you'd be gay" -- and he agrees that there's always the possibilty -- it sends a message to his core demographic of white 15-to-25-year-old males that they get from no one else on radio.

That message is tolerance and acceptance. I have had earnest boys in full hetero drag appear backstage to say that their evening's choice was "between you and Alice In Chains, but you were on Howard so we came here". I've watched an audience comprised mainly of heterosexual couples interact with me, a lesbian, in a positive way. Remember, these are the kids who think all lesbians are fat, ugly man-haters who want penises for Christmas, and all queer men are sissies who couldn't get a girl.

As performers, Howard Stern and I attempt to do exactly the same thing -- to break down the stereotypes.

Sounds pretty folk to me.

-Janis