In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, KPIX CBS 5 political editor Hank Plante says he’s on a crusade to integrate gays and lesbians into news stories about everyday life. “When a network does a story on credit card debt, why shouldn’t it be a lesbian couple profiled? It is criminal we are excluded from these stories,” said Plante, who is gay and a founding member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. “I don’t know how to make that happen. We are part of the fabric of this nation. We need to be included in these non-gay stories. It is a crusade of mine.”

In the interview, Plante said he isn’t interested in writing an opinion column or hosting a talk show, pointing to the controversy that erupted over KGO anchor Pete Wilson’s criticism of gay Supervisor Bevan Dufty’s decision to raise a baby girl with a lesbian. “This is the danger when you have someone who is supposed to be a journalist doing a column or radio talk show. Eventually your true feelings are going to come out,” said Plante. “If you want to be a journalist you give some of that up. I am sorry but that is the way it is. You shouldn’t know whom Katie Couric is voting for. Besides the fact, I thought what he said was ridiculous.”

The occassion for the interview was Plante’s induction into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences of San Francisco/Northern California Chapter. Along with Plante, this year’s inductees were KTVU’s John Fowler and Ross McGowan; CBS 5’s Sydnie Kohara; Mark Hedlund with KXTV in Sacramento; and Bob Long from Fresno’s KSEE.

In the picture above, Tim Didion, left, CBS 5 special projects producer and Terry Lowry, awards committee chair, congratulate Hank Plante, CBS 5 political editor, upon his induction to the Silver Circle. (Photo by Rick Gerharter, Bay Area Reporter.)